Doubts Over Testimonies Lead to Bail for De Lima
LEILA DE LIMA – A lawyer representing the former senator asserted that the judge granted her bail due to the lack of credibility in the testimony of prosecution witnesses against her.
According to Tacardon,”Ang sinabi ni Judge Gito, paano tayo maniniwala na ang kausap niya o ka-text niya ay si Sen. Leila de Lima e wala namang nagsasabi ng ibang ebidensya at wala naman siyang maiprisenta na ibang ebidensya na magpapatunay nga na kausap ni Herbert Colanggo ang dating senadora.”
He emphasized that the court finds it unacceptable for Herbert Colanggo to simply claim that he communicated with Senator Leila de Lima. Tacardon stressed the need for corroboration, which, according to him, the panel of prosecutors failed to provide.
The ex-senator had spent over six years in jail, facing what she alleges to be fabricated, politically motivated charges designed to silence her critique of then-President Rodrigo Duterte and his controversial war on drugs.
The former senator dedicated a decade to investigating “death squad” executions, which were said to be orchestrated by Duterte during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and early in his presidency. Her efforts began during her role as a human rights commissioner in the Philippines and continued when she served as the justice secretary.
Despite being elected to the Senate in 2016, the same year Duterte assumed the presidency, De Lima remained one of the president’s few critics. She vehemently opposed his “war on drugs,” enduring public attacks from Duterte who accused her of running a prison drug-trafficking ring during her time as justice secretary.
In an interview, Tacardon revealed that the defense team plans to seek the dismissal of the case after the court addresses the formal offer of evidence presented by the prosecution. Once resolved, they have the legal right to submit a demurrer to evidence, which Tacardon anticipates will be filed within the next month or, at most, within the next two months.
Tacardon mentioned that De Lima is set to visit her mother in Bicol soon. When asked about potential retaliation against former President Duterte, Tacardon shared that De Lima had conveyed a message to him: “God forgive him and God bless him.” However, he recalled De Lima’s earlier words during her initial imprisonment, hinting at a future “day of reckoning.”
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