Palace ‘no comment’ on SC junking of De Lima’s petition

Malacañang has declined to give comment on the decision of the Supreme Court (SC), junking the petition of detained Senator Leila de Lima to recall the arrest warrant and dismiss the drug charges filed against her.

“That is within the Supreme Court’s purview, we leave it to them to address that,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday.

Voting 9-6, the SC en banc ruled to reject De Lima’s motion to recall the warrant of arrest issued against her by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Presbitero J. Velasco Jr., whom de Lima had earlier asked to inhibit from the case.

In February, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed three criminal charges against De Lima for supposedly receiving bribes from drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison in exchange for their protection during her term as justice secretary.

The DOJ also accused De Lima of using the money from illegal drug trade to fund her 2016 senatorial campaign.

President Rodrigo Duterte has accused De Lima of protecting the illegal drug trade in the country and receiving bribes during her stint as justice secretary. The senator has repeatedly denied the accusations hurled against her.

De Lima is currently detained at the custodial center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame in Quezon City.       /kga