De Lima mulls charges vs. Duterte, Aguirre over her detention

The camp of former senator Leila de Lima is eyeing to file charges against ex-president Rodrigo Duterte and former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II over her years-long detention on drug allegations. 

In Maki Pulido’s “24 Oras” report Thursday, de Lima said this would be the “next step” following her release from detention in November 2023 after a Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted her bail petition.

“The next step is to file charges against those responsible for my persecution. And his chief enforcing officer was the former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre,” she said. 

De Lima, one of Duterte's most vocal critics, was detained in February 2017 during his administration on drug allegations she has denied. Two of the three cases against her have been dismissed.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to Duterte for comment. In a phone conversation, meanwhile, Aguirre said his actions were in accordance with the law and he was fulfilling his job as justice secretary.

The former senator made her first public appearance at the Asia Women Forum 2024, where she recalled surviving a hostage-taking incident inside the PNP Custodial Center in October 2022. 

“I can recount to you my harrowing ordeal when I was taken hostage inside my detention cell. And when the hostage taker said, 'By 7:30, ma'am, I’m going to kill you too'. I thought that was my end,” she said. 

De Lima was detained in Camp Crame for nearly seven years—from February 2017 to November 2023, when she was allowed to post bail in the last remaining drug case against her.

Her first acquittal came in February 2021 when the Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 205 junked one of her three cases. On May 12, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted de Lima and Ronnie Dayan, her co-accused and former bodyguard.

All three cases were filed before a Muntinlupa court in February 2017. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News