It’s up to court to let De Lima join Senate sessions – PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines — Should detained Sen. Leila De Lima be allowed to perform her duties as a lawmaker and participate in Senate proceedings?

“That is a matter that will depend on the decision of the court,” Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said in a press briefing on Tuesday in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“If the court says she will be allowed, then we can’t do anything. We have to follow the order of the court,” Albayalde, speaking partly in Filipino, added.

Albayalde’s remark follows the statement of Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri that the Senate Committee on Rules would first seek comment from the court and the PNP before deciding if De Lima would be allowed to participate in Senate deliberations.

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Panfilo Lacson had filed Senate Resolution No. 51 seeking to allow De Lima to participate in plenary sessions at the Senate through teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other forms of remote or electronic communications.

De Lima, who celebrated her 60th birthday on Tuesday, has been detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame since February 2017 for allegedly having a hand on the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison while she was still Justice secretary during the term of former President Benigno Aquino III.

De Lima’s case is pending before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.

READ: Group that includes Aquino asks Duterte to let De Lima fully discharge duties as senator

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