Leila De Lima: I'm completely free, vindicated

Very liberating.

Thus, former Sen. Leila De Lima described her feeling after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court granted her demurrer to evidence, effectively dismissing the last drug case filed against her during the Duterte administration.  

"With the grant of our demurrer to evidence, which is tantamount to acquittal, that means I am now completely free and vindicated. It's very liberating," De Lima said.

"I respected the rule of law despite the pain and the injustice of it all. I confronted the charges head on and I went through and endured the whole process," she added.

De Lima on Monday said it was now President Rodrigo Duterte’s turn to face his ‘wrongdoings’ about his bloody war on drugs.

“Ito ang message ko sa dating pangulo, kay Ginoong Duterte. Kayo ngayon ang mananagot sa mga kasalanan niyo sa taong bayan. Isa lang akong biktima. Libo-libong mga Pilipino ang pinaslang nila noong nakaraang madugo at pekeng war on drugs,” De Lima said in an ambush interview.

(This is my message to the former president, Mr. Duterte. It is now your turn to face your wrongdoings to the people. I am only one victim. Thousands of Filipinos were killed during the bloody and fake war on drugs.)

According to De Lima, she will help the International Criminal Court (ICC), which seeks to investigate drug war killings. 

Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the anti-drug police operations.

She issued the remark after the court granted her demurrer to evidence, effectively dismissing her third and final drug case and clearing her of all drug charges. 

The court said the prosecution failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

De Lima to former President Rodrigo Duterte: Kayo ngayon ang mananagot sa mga kasalanan niyo sa taong bayan @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/jX8PAuhNgm

— Joahna Lei Casilao (@joahnacasilao) June 24, 2024

The drug cases against De Lima, a vocal critic of the former president, were filed under the Duterte administration in 2017.

De Lima said her lawyers are already looking into the possible filing of counter-cases against Duterte.

“Pinaguusapan yan, pinag aaralan yan, so pag ready na po ina-announce po namin,” the former senator said.

(It is being talked about, it is being looked into, and when we are ready, we will announce it.)

De Lima: Sa mga sumusuporta po sa akin, wag po kayo mawawala. Dahil pagkatapos po ng pitong taon mas handa po ako na ituloy ang laban @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/PDiJuATThD

— Joahna Lei Casilao (@joahnacasilao) June 24, 2024

Meanwhile, De Lima asked her advocates for their continued support, saying that her fight would continue.

“Sa mga sumusuporta sa akin, wag kayong mawawala. Dahil pagkatapos ng pitong taon, mas handa ako na ituloy ang laban,” she said.

(To those who support me, don’t disappear. Because after seven years, I am more ready to continue the fight.)

Asked if this meant that she would run for the Senate, De Lima clarified that she had not yet decided.

“What I meant by tuloy ang laban ay tuloy ang laban kontra sa injustices at sa oppression,” she said.

(What I meant by that is that the fight will continue against injustices and oppression.) 

De Lima thanked her family, the judge, the legal team, supporters, and God.

The former senator’s first acquittal came in February 2021 when the Muntinlupa City RTC-Branch 205 junked one of her three cases.

In May 2023, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted De Lima and Ronnie Dayan, her co-accused and former bodyguard, of an illegal drug trading charge on the grounds of reasonable doubt.

Earlier, a Quezon City court also dismissed De Lima’s two disobedience cases. —NB, GMA Integrated News