Sen. Marcos pleads for Leila de Lima’s furlough, speedy case resolution

FILE PHOTOS: Senator Imee Marcos (left) and former senator Leila de Lima. SENATE PRIB / INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Imee Marcos is not only pushing for an extended medical furlough for Leila de Lima, but also a speedy resolution of the drug cases filed against the detained former senator.

“Noong July pa ay talagang nilalakad ko sana na magkaroon ng extended medical furlough at home si Senator de Lima. Kasi alam natin na meron din siyang sakit pero talagang todo laban pa rin siya sa kanyang mga kaso at hindi naman tayo pwedeng manghimasok sa ating judiciary,”  Marcos said.

(Since last July, I’ve been really working on finding a way to give Senator de Lima an extended medical furlough at home. Because we all know that she has an illness, yet she continues to fight her cases and we cannot meddle with our judiciary.)

READ: Court grants De Lima’s medical furlough to undergo ‘major’ surgery

Marcos hoped that Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla would listen to her plea for an extended medical furlough for de Lima, a known fierce critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte. She also noted the need for the prosecution to expedite the drug cases, which de Lima has repeatedly refuted and branded as fabricated.

“Matagal-tagal na rin ‘yung kaso (The cases have been going on for a quite some time now). Siguro hingin na natin [na] bilisan ang proseso (Perhaps we’re asking now for the process to speed up)… I think the request of Senator de Lima as well as the need of the prosecution to speed up these cases is evident and is desired by all,” Marcos said.

She then expressed worry about the hostage try on de Lima inside the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City, last October 9.

READ: De Lima survives hostage-taking attempt; hostage-taker gunned down

One of the three drug cases against de Lima has been dismissed, while several witnesses against her had withdrawn their testimonies. De Lima is detained in the Custodial Center since 2017. — Kristelle Razon, trainee

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KGA/abc