MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II is “99 percent” sure that Sen. Leila De Lima won’t be killed while in detention on drug trafficking charges.
Aguirre sought to assure De Lima – a vocal critic of President Duterte’s war on drugs marked by summary killings – of her safety after she requested authorities to provide a “safe and secure” detention and expressed fears that she might be another case of extrajudicial killing.
“Definitely, she will be safe wherever (she will be detained),” Aguirre told reporters minutes after the Commission on Appointments confirmed his appointment in plenary.
When asked about De Lima’s fear that she will fall victim to extrajudicial killing, he said: “I don’t think so. I’m sure 99 percent.”
Sought for comment, De Lima said that Aguirre gave a one percent probability that she may fall victim of extrajudicial killing.
“As I’ve said, they should ensure my security. Because it’s really a foregone conclusion that’s what they’re going to do,” she added.
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The arrest warrant for De Lima is expected to be served anytime after the Department of Justice (DOJ) comes out with its resolutions on the various criminal complaints filed against her, and files these before the regular courts.
Aguirre could not give a definite date when the DOJ would release its resolutions but said that it is “close.”
He also said it was possible the resolutions would come out this week and would be filed before the regular courts, which would likely issue a warrant of arrest against De Lima based on the non-bailable charge of drug trafficking.
“I’m being beaten up in social media because it’s taking too long,” Aguirre said.
Among the charges expected to be filed against De Lima was for alleged violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, in connection with her alleged receipt of P8 million from self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa during the electoral campaign last year.
The drug trafficking charges were filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala, the NBI and New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) inmate Jaybee Sebastian.
He shrugged off De Lima’s announcement that she was already packing her things.
“I would do the same if I were in her place,” Aguirre said.
De Lima, the justice secretary before Aguirre, has been critical of Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs that she said was responsible for the over 7,000 summary killings of drug suspects.
In November, she sought protection from the Supreme Court from what she said was Duterte’s incessant vulgar attacks against her and using government resources to dig up private and personal information about her in violation of her human rights.
De Lima on Tuesday pressed the Court of Appeals to act on her petitions for a temporary restraining order against the DOJ in its plan to file the cases before the regular courts.
She stressed that, being a public official, the Office of the Ombudsman should prosecute her case before the Sandiganbayan.
She said she and her family were also bracing for her arrest that may happen anytime soon.
“My only request in case that eventuality happens, God forbid, is that I will be placed in a safe and secure place. A lot of things have been happening, there were those being killed inside their cell. So what is another EJK (extrajudicial killing)?” de Lima told reporters.
“I cannot physically resist. I am morally and psychologically resisting it because I’m innocent absolutely, but physically I cannot resist. What can I do?” she said.
Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said De Lima is perhaps afraid of her own ghost as she knows what to expect from the government and the court over her alleged links to the drug trade because she was once a justice secretary. – Delon Porcalla