Remulla says no objection to bail plea as De Lima nears 6 years in detention

As former Senator Leila De Lima nears six years in detention, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday said he does not personally object to a possible bail plea from her camp.

In an ambush interview following a culmination activity at the New Bilibid Prison, Remulla advised De Lima’s camp to file a petition for habeas corpus when asked about her continued detention.

“We will not object. Ako, I am not objecting, personally, personally, no, to any plea that will free anybody from jail,” Remulla said.

Remulla, however, added that this is “better addressed in court.”

“It is a power left to the judges to decide and even to the higher courts if need be, if they want to go to the higher courts,” he said.

“So let it be that way, if they wish to petition for bail or for habeas corpus, so be it. It is her right after all, as a citizen detained, to ask the courts why she is detained and for the courts to decide on whether or not a grant of liberty is appropriate under the circumstances,” he added.

De Lima’s camp previously said they will file a supplemental motion for bail for her release within the month of February.

The former senator has been detained at Camp Crame since 2017 over drug allegations in the New Bilibid Prison.

One of the three drug charges against her was junked by the Muntinlupa Court in February 2021. She has denied all the allegations against her. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News