Walden Bello: De Lima should be released after Espinosa's retraction

Following drug personality Kerwin Espinosa’s retraction of his allegations, vice presidential candidate Walden Bello sought anew the release of Senator Leila de Lima from detention.

"Self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, whose testimony has been central to Duterte’s fabricated image of Sen. Leila de Lima as involved in the illegal drugs trade, has recanted all his allegations, saying they were all lies extorted from him by authorities under threat of severe penalties including loss of his life," he said in a statement Thursday.

“One of the key elements of Ka Leody and my campaign has been the unconditional release of this long-suffering victim of a frame-up based on nothing else but the president's vindictiveness. Release Senator de Lima now,” Bello added.

De Lima, an opposition senator, has been detained since February 2017 after being accused of abetting the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison when she was secretary of the Department of Justice during the previous administration.

Of the three cases filed against her, one has already been dismissed by the Muntinlupa court.

Several groups have called for her release including the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights who urged presidential bets to publicly pledge her release if they get elected in the upcoming local and national elections.—LDF, GMA News