President Duterte said yesterday that Sen. Leila M. de Lima should face the music following the filing of drug cases against her by the Department of Justice before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court.
In an interview during his visit to the wake of soldiers killed in action in Panacan, Davao City, Duterte said De Lima has no choice now but to face the music since Filipinos already know that she was involved in illegal drug transactions.
“She has to face the music. Actually ilang testigo ‘yan, it took months to develop the case. Alam naman ng Pilipino ‘yan. Alam ng Pilipino na ganun talaga ang istilo niya,” he said.
The President added that the cases filed against De Lima have enough weight since witnesses are already pointing their fingers at her.
Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said yesterday that De Lima should welcome the drug cases filed against her.
According to Panelo, De Lima will now have the opportunity to defend herself because the cases filed against her for alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa will now progress.
“She should be happy about that because matutuloy ang kaso, she will have the opportunity to defend herself. She should welcome it,” Panelo said in a chance interview in Malacañang.
Panelo said that De Lima will be imprisoned if the charges – violation of Section 5 (sale and trading of illegal drugs) in relation to Section 3 (jj), Section 26 (b), and Section 28 (criminal liability of government officials and employees) of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 – filed against her will be proven to be true.
“O, e ‘di ‘pag napatunayan na kasama siya sa drugs, e ‘di kulong siya. Matitikman na niya ang pinatikim niya kay Arroyo,” he said, referring to former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria M. Arroyo.
De Lima, who was then the Justice Secretary, allegedly persecuted Mrs. Arroyo and her husband former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” T. Arroyo for their alleged involvement in cheating in the 2007 senatorial polls.
Also charged with De Lima were her former lover and driver Ronnie Dayan and her nephew Jose Adrian Dera, former Bureau of Corrections Director General Franklin Jesus Bucayu; Bucayu’s alleged bagman Wilfredo Elli; high-profile Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian; National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Rafael Ragos; and De Lima’s former aide Joenel Sanchez. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)