Tag: Leila de Lima

Two case dismissals but no release order

Published by Ellen on February 21, 2021

Senator Leila de Lima and journalist Lady Ann Salem

The case of illegal possession of firearms and explosives against journalist Lady Ann “Icy” Salem of Manila Today was dismissed last Feb. 5 but she continues to be in jail in Mandaluyong City.

A drug case against Sen. Leila De Lima was dismissed last Feb. 17. She, however, remains in detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City because she still faces two other cases.

Salem’s lawyer, Kristina Conti of the Public Interest Law Center, speaking at a rally of the journalist’s supporters in front of the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court, said last Friday that the Feb. 5 dismissal of the case against Salem and trade unionist Rodrigo Esparago was not accompanied by a release order.

There’s more to the U.S. visa ban that Duterte and allies are afraid of

Published by Ellen on January 6, 2020

Senator Leila de Lima waves to supporters on her way to a court hearing, June 7, 2019. Photo from Senator de Lima’s office.

Why is Malacañang panicking over the U.S. visa ban on officials involved in the “wrongful imprisonment” of Senator Leila de Lima that has yet to be implemented?

The panic was obvious in the President’s order at the beginning of the New Year that aside from banning the three American senators – Richard Durbin of Illinois, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Edward Markey of Massachusetts from entering the country – he had wanted “to require all Americans intending to come to the Philippines to apply and secure a visa.”

The order would trash the current policy of a 30-day visa free privilege for U.S. citizens.

Founded on false hopes, sustained by more falsehood

Published by Ellen on October 16, 2017

Fake news. We have that in abundance direct from the President himself.

Now we have Fake Charge.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio minced no words in his 39-page dissenting opinion to the majority decision (9-6) upholding the warrant of arrest on Sen. Leila de Lima issued by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court early this year on the charge that she engaged in illegal drug trading while she was secretary of justice.

“Based on the Information itself, the accusation of illegal trade of drugs against petitioner is blatantly a pure invention. This Court, the last bulwark of democracy and liberty in the land, should never countenance such a fake charge. To allow the continued detention of petitioner under this Information is one of the grossest injustices ever perpetrated in recent memory in full view of the Filipino nation and the entire world,” Carpio said.

Centerlaw: Documents belie De Lima’s claim of misinformation

Published by Ellen on April 8, 2015

Statement of the Prof. Harry L. Roque Jr., chair of the Center for International Law (Centerlaw), an NGO dedicated to the promotion of binding international legal norms in the Philippines and Asia:

“We take exception to the veiled threat in the statement made yesterday by Secretary Leila De Lima that the Vera Files special report on a recent Note Verbale given by the Philippines to Malaysia over the Spratlys islands concerned a confidential matter that should have been kept as it is.

“In the first place, our Justice Secretary should be first to know that such a threat is in the nature of prior restraint with a chilling effect on speech, as held by the Supreme Court in the case filed by the late former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez against a predecessor of hers at the DOJ, the late Raul Gonzales.

“A mere press statement of a threat of prosecution coming from a government functionary, according to this 2008 Supreme Court decision, is unconstitutional precisely for that reason.

Vetting the Napoles list

Published by Ellen on May 13, 2014

Secretary de Lima. Still vetting the list.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she is still “vetting” the names of people in the list given to her by pork barrel queen Janet Napoles.

“You just have to trust me that I’m not gonna do that na isa-sanitize ko yung list. Pangako ko po yan sa taumbayan na hindi ko yan gagawin na isa-sanitize. Pangako ko rin sa taumbayan na gagawin ko yung mandato in a very responsible and prudent manner . Kaya kailangan munang magkaroon ng vetting,” De Lima was quoted to have said.

Malacañang supports De Lima’s non-disclosure of the Napoles list while she is still “vetting” the names in it.

Nakakaduda na ang kilos ng pamahalaan sa kaso ni Napoles

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2014

Hindi naman siguro tanga si Justice Secretary Leila de Lima para hindi niya maisip kung bakit pilit na gusto makipagkita sa kanya si Janet Napoles at gusto kumanta.

Maraming pagkakataon si Napoles na magsabi ng buong katotohanan tungkol sa panloloko at pagnakaw ng bilyun-bilyon na pera sa taumbayan ngunit hindi niya ginawa. Nang dumalo siya sa hearing ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committtee, wala siyang sinabi. Puro wala siyang alam samantalang nanumpa siya na magsabi na buong katotohanan. “Nothing but the truth,” sabi sa kanyang oath.

Iba na raw ang kuwento ni Napoles nang binisita ni De Lima sa Ospital ng Makati. Nagdawit pa raw siya ng maraming senador at congressman. Merong may nagsabi na 19 na senador daw ang sa kanyang affidavit, meron namang nagsabing 12.

Ngunit hindi raw nila pinag-usapan ang pagiging state witness ni Napoles.

Sinong tanga ang maniniwala na kakanta si Napoles na walang kapalit? Konsyensya daw.

The advantage of having De Lima as CJ: she will also be SC spokesperson

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2012

Based on Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s account of how she transitioned from being a “reluctant” nominee for Supreme Court chief justice to one who will be a “unifying force” in the judiciary, it happened after her meeting with President Aquino.

It is presumed that unlike Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares who decided to stay put at the Bureau of Internal Revenue after she was told that it is important that the reforms she has introduced in the agency have to sustained, De Lima was encouraged by the President.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said De Lima told him that the President’s encouragement consisted of “It’s up to you, you make your decision.”

Lacierda also said whatever decision De Lima makes, the President will respect it.

Who follows court orders these days?

Published by Ellen on April 1, 2012

Take a look at these headlines the past days:

CEBU SCHOOL DEFIES COURT ORDER ON BIKINI GRADUATES

DE LIMA DEFIES COURT

The first headline was about officials of St. Theresa’s College in Cebu defying the temporary restraining order issued by Cebu City Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Navarro directing the school to cease and desist from enforcing the penalties on five students graduating from highschool for posting in Facebook photos in a bikini and in poses which school authorities considered “lewd.”

STC Cebu decided not to allow the five students to join the graduation rites although they can get their diploma.

May kuneksyun ba ang kaso ni Gatdula at Mancao?

Published by Ellen on January 21, 2012

Gatdula and Delima — Gatdula and De Lima

Nagkataon lang kaya o may kuneksyun ang pagtanggal kay Director Magtanggol Gatdula ng National Bureau of Investigation sa kanyang pwesto at ang desisyun ng Manila Regional Trial Court (Branch 18) na manatili ang dating opisyal ng pulis na si Cezar Mancao II bilang akusado sa kaso ng pagpatay sa publicist na si Salvador “Bubby” Dacer at ang kanyang driver na si Emmanuel Corbito?

Cezar mancao with Mantaring — Mancao accompanied by then NBI Director Nestor Mantaring

Marami sa mga reporter na nagtatrabaho sa Japanese media ang nagtataka kung bakit pinatulan ni Justice secretary Leila de Lima ang paratang ng Haponesang si Noriyo Ohara na kinidnap daw siya at kinikilan ng mga ahente ng NBI kasama si Gatdula.

Alam daw kasi ng mga opisyal ng Japanese Embassy na may kuneksyun ni Ohara sa mga hindi kanais-nais na mga grupo sa Hapon at hindi malaman kung alin sa mga sinasabi niya ay totoo. Noong taon 2009 pa raw dito sa Pilipinas ngunit noong Oktubre 29, 2011 siya hinuli ng mga ahente ng NBI sa Pangasinan sa bahay ng ‘handler’ niya dito.

Itong handler niya, kilala ang isang media man na may kuneksyun sa mga taga DOJ.

Gatdula axed as NBI Director

Published by Ellen on January 20, 2012

President Aquino said he has lost trust on NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula. He is president and he has every right to fire anybody whom he no longer trusts.

But there must be competent way to do it.

After the Department of Justice implicated NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula in kidnapping and extortion, here comes the DOJ Undersecretary Francisco Baraan saying they didn’t make any conclusion.

Take a look at the letter Justice Secretary Leila de Lima sent to the Ombudsman. She can’t decide who she is sending the letter to.