Palace to de Lima: Nothing to celebrate on acquittal in one drug case, you’re still in jail

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday said fierce Dutete critic and opposition Senator Leila de Lima has no reason to celebrate even if she was acquitted in a drug case because she’s still in jail.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque emphasized that de Lima still has two more drug cases to hurdle. A total of three drug cases were filed against the lawmaker.

“Bakit po siya magce-celebrate, eh nandoon pa rin siya sa selda niya?” Roque remarked in a Palace briefing

(Why should she celebrate when she’s still in her jail cell?)

“Wala kaming reaksyon diyan kasi nakakulong pa rin siya at siya’y nakakulong pa rin kasi mayroon pa siyang dalawang kaso,” he added.

(We have no reaction to that because she is still in jail and she is still in jail because she still has two pending cases.)

The senator earlier claimed “moral victory” for having won an acquittal in one drug case, especially during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“To be acquitted even in just one case, in the time of Duterte, is a moral victory,” she said in a statement Wednesday.

“We’re happy about my being absolved and the court’s dropping my case, Criminal Case No. 17-166,” she also said.

In a 41-page omnibus order, Judge Liezel Aquiatan of Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 granted de Lima’s demurrer to evidence in Criminal Case No. 17-166.

A demurrer is a motion to dismiss a case on grounds that the evidence presented by prosecutors is insufficient for a criminal conviction. Once granted, it is considered an acquittal by the court.

However, de Lima was denied bail, meaning she will still remain in detention pending resolution of the two other cases.