In this Feb. 13, 2017 photo, Philippine Sen. Leila de Lima takes her seat during a session in the Philippine Senate in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. Philippine justice secretary said Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, criminal charges have been filed against the opposition senator allegedly receiving money from detained drug lords in a move that can lead to the arrest of one of the president's most vocal critics.

Start the conversation, or Read more at SFGate. </s> Opposition Senator Leila de Lima is escorted by Senate security to address the media after a warrant for her arrest was issued by a regional trial court Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. The Philippine court has issued an arrest warrant on drug charges for the senator and former top human rights official who is one of the most vocal critics of President Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. De Lima has vehemently denied the charges, which she says are part of Duterte's attempt to intimidate critics of his crackdown, which has left more than 7,000 drug suspects dead.

Manila: A Philippine court on Thursday issued an arrest order for combative Senator Leila de Lima, in connection with allegations that she received drug money from an influential prison syndicate.

Judge Juanita Guerero, of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204, ordered the arrest of De Lima, who on Thursday afternoon remained holed up in her locked office at the Senate building in Pasay City.

Aside from the De Lima, also ordered arrested were Rafael Ragos and Ronnie Dayan who are respectively a close aide and personal driver of the senator.

“After a careful evaluation of the herein information and all the evidence presented during the preliminary investigation conducted in this case by the Department of Justice, Manila, the court finds sufficient probable cause for the issuance of warrants of arrest against Leila M. de Lima, Rafael Marcos Z. Ragos and Ronnie Palisoc Dayan,” the court order states.

De Lima and her aides are being accused of violating the law against drugs, particularly Section 5 of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

This particular law deems as illegal the “sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of illegal drugs,” and prescribes a punishment of imprisonment from a minimum of 12 years to life imprisonment and payment of fine from 500,000 pesos to 10 million pesos (Dh36,502 to Dh730,043).

The arrest order was issued after the Department of Justice last week charged De Lima, who was justice secretary until last year, with accepting money from high-profile drug syndicates in exchange for allowing the jailed felons to conduct their business even while in prison.

De Lima is known to be close to former President Benigno Aquino III and is an active member of his political organisation, the Liberal Party (LP).

Meanwhile, incumbent Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre alleged that a former senator and an incumbent member of the House of Representatives, who is with the LP, had tried to bribe high profile inmates who have direct knowledge on De Lima’s acceptance of protection money during the time she was justice secretary.

Aguirre said the information held by national penitentiary New Bilibid Prisons inmates Vicenty Sy, JoJo Baligad Herbert Colanggo, Engelberto Aceñas Dureno, and Wu Tuan Yuan or Peter Co could pin down De Lima on allegations that she was providing protection to the six high profile inmates who were allegedly involved in running a drug distribution ring under the noses of jail authorities.

“We have information that the first offer to the inmates was made on Wednesday afternoon. It was made by a former senator and an incumbent Congressman of the Liberal Party in the Province of Laguna. The inmates were told that they have to recant before February 25, 2017,” according to Aguirre. </s> MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials say that an opposition senator and leading critic of the president’s deadly anti-drug crackdown has been arrested on drug charges.

The arrest comes a day after the Regional Trial Court in Muntinlupa city in the Manila metropolis issued the warrant for the arrest of Sen. Leila de Lima and other officials who have been charged by Department of Justice prosecutors with receiving bribes from detained drug lords.

De Lima has denied the charges, which she said were part of an attempt by President Rodrigo Duterte to muzzle critics of his crackdown, which has left more than 7,000 drug suspects dead. She questioned why the court suddenly issued the arrest order when it was scheduled Friday to hear her petition to void the three non-bailable charges. </s> SENATOR Leila de Lima vowed to surrender to authorities today, Friday, even as she questioned the warrant of arrest issued Thursday afternoon by a Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) over a non-bailable drug trafficking charge.

“Like what I’ve been saying, I have no plans to run, I have no plans to hide,” an emotional de Lima told reporters who waited for three hours for the former Justice secretary to emerge from her Senate office.

“Tuloy po ang laban ni Leila de Lima (Leila de Lima’s fight will continue)” said the senator before leaving the Senate.

Judge Juanita Guerrero of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 issued the warrant of arrest against the senator in connection with the charges filed last week by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Also ordered arrested were Rafael Ragos, former deputy director of the National Bureau of Investigation, and Ronnie Dayan, the senator’s former driver-bodyguard. Dayan was nabbed in Pangasinan on Thursday afternoon.

As of 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, de Lima said she had yet to receive the arrest order, which she said was questionable as the court had yet to hear her motions to quash or dismiss the case.

She said she was surprised to learn that a warrant of arrest had been issued as prosecutors earlier sought to reset a court hearing to March 3.

De Lima said she would go home first to be with her family before she is taken to jail. She promised to return to the Senate Friday morning and wait for the arresting officers.

The embattled senator thanked her party mates in the Liberal Party (LP) for their support and asked the public for prayers that she would be brought to a safe and secure place.

De Lima was joined by Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon and Senators Francis Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th when she faced the media.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed three separate cases against de Lima for her alleged involvement in illegal drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa when she was DOJ chief.

De Lima immediately filed three motions to quash, a motion for judicial determination of probable cause, and a motion to hold in abeyance the issuance of warrant of arrest.

The senator earlier said that if the courts denied all her motions she would run to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.

Dayan, former lover and driver-bodyguard of de Lima, was arrested by policemen in his house in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan.

Dayan did not resist arrest. He was accompanied by his wife and relatives when he was brought to the police station.

Chief Insp. Joshua Maximo, the Urbiztondo police chief, said Dayan would be turned over to the Muntinlupa court on Monday.

Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, one of the counsels of de Lima, said Thursday the warrant of arrest against the senator was premature.

“The hearing was set for tomorrow, and so we are surprised that this was preempted by the issuance of the warrant of arrest. Under the court rules, the judge will have 10 days to decide from the filing of the information in issuing a warrant, so we really did not expect for this to come out so quickly,” said Diokno, founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law.

“This will surely be questioned. She can file a motion for reconsideration or motion to lift the warrant of arrest. But for now, she may have no choice but to adhere to it,” Diokno told reporters.

In Malacañang, President Rodrigo Duterte’s chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, said de Lima’s arrest order was “karma” but also an opportunity for her to refute all allegations against her.

“The issuance of a warrant for the arrest of Senator de Lima means the issuing court finds probable cause that she may have probably committed the crime charged. She should welcome this development herself as she is now given the opportunity to refute any and all allegations and/or evidence to be presented by the prosecution against her,” Panelo said.

The President’s lawyer said de Lima was being given due process which she “shamelessly denied” former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo when she was still secretary of Justice.

In a separate statement, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said de Lima’s arrest was “a major step forward” in the Duterte administration’s anti-drug war.

“It is a fulfillment of the campaign promise of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to rid Philippine society of drugs, crime and corruption,” Abella said.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), one of the complainants against de Lima, lauded Judge Guerrero “who issued the [warrant]despite the obvious pressures coming from [de Lima’s]allies and party mates.”

“We urge the other two judges to do the same courageous and judicial act they are obligated to do,” VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez said.

“We have a very strong case against de Lima. We hope she will be detained in an ordinary [cell]like other ordinary Filipinos who have committed a heinous crime.”

Prior to the release of de Lima’s arrest warrant, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd bared a supposed P100-million offer for high-profile inmates detained at Camp Aguinaldo to retract their testimonies on de Lima’s drug links on or before February 25, the anniversary of the EDSA “People Power” revolt.

Aguirre said the prisoners declined the offer, made by a former senator and an incumbent legislator from Laguna. He declined to name them.

“They wanted to use this to attract more people to the EDSA anniversary, to mount people power, and they are being offered that they will be released,” he said.

“We are taking the matter very seriously and we will go after those who are responsible,” he added.

Not the first time

 

 It was not the first time that the paths of de Lima and Guerrero crossed. In 2011, de Lima, who was then DOJ secretary, sought the reversal of Guerrero’s decision on the case of the so-called “Alabang Boys,” a group of young men arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for drug possession and sale of prohibited drugs.

Guerrero cleared two of the suspects despite denying earlier their motion for bail.

De Lima in an interview at that time said Guerrero may have committed “gross misappreciation of procedure,” the reason that led to the acquittal of the two suspects. </s> (UPDATED) The arrest warrant is issued days after the Department of Justice filed charges against its former chief for allegedly receiving drug money from convicts

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered the arrest of Senator Leila de Lima and two others for drug charges on Thursday, February 23.

Judge Juanita Guerrero of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 issued the warrant, members of the senator's staff confirmed Thursday afternoon.

"After a careful evaluation of the herein Information and all the evidence presented during the preliminary investigation conducted in this case by the Department of Justice, Manila, the Court finds sufficient probable cause for the issuance of Warrants of Arrest against Leila M. de Lima, Rafael Marcos Z. Ragos and Ronnie Palisoc Dayan," the order read.

Ragos is former Bureau of Corrections chief while Dayan is the former driver and boyfriend of De Lima, her alleged "bagman" who dealt with New Bilibid Prison drug operators when she was justice secretary.

The arrest warrant was issued less than a week after the Department of Justice filed charges against De Lima for allegedly receiving drug money from convicts in exchange for their protection when she headed the DOJ.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said in an interview on dzMM that the warrant can be served "any time of the day," even beyond 5 pm on Thursday.

De Lima's lawyer, Alex Padilla, described the development as "funny and sad" because of the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the warrant. He cited the fact that the De Lima camp had filed a motion to quash with the court which has yet to be heard.

"Parang nakakatawa na nakakalungkot. Puwede namang mangyari na mag-issue ng arrest warrant bago ang hearing ng motions pero nakakaduda kasi high-profile case ito. Malinaw na may motion to quash, sana binasa muna. Wala akong ibang maisip kundi pre-judgment on the part of the judge," Padilla said.

De Lima's Senate staff said their camp was surprised by the issuance of the warrant that day, since the judge concerned reportedly just returned from a Macau trip.

The DOJ filed 3 criminal complaints before the court against De Lima, accusing her of violating Section 5 of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which penalizes the "sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of illegal drugs."

Violators face 12 years to life imprisonment and fines range from P500,000 to P10 million.

The charges were filed 5 months after a sensational House inquiry initiated by administration allies, where Bilibid convicts were allowed to testify on De Lima's alleged transactions with them. (READ: The public trial of Leila de Lima)

De Lima, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, had earlier dismissed the charges as "plain and simple political persecution."

She had also said that she had prepared herself to be the "first political prisoner under this regime."

The senator had said on many occasions that the Chief Executive had a "personal vendetta" against her, dating back to when she was chief of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Duterte was still Davao City mayor.



De Lima first drew Duterte's ire when she led investigations into his ties to the so-called Davao Death Squad back when she was CHR chair under the Arroyo administration.

As a senator and then chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, she initiated an investigation into the spate of killings in the Duterte administration's war on drugs, triggering attacks from the President and his allies on her alleged drug links. – Camille Elemia and Lian Buan/Rappler.com </s> An arrest warrant has been issued for the highest-profile opponent of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs, but she dodged police and sought refuge in the Senate.



The planned arrest of Senator Leila de Lima outraged her supporters and human rights activists, who said the government had manufactured drug trafficking charges to silence her criticism of Duterte and intimidate others.

The 57-year-old lawyer, who has spent nearly a decade trying to link Duterte to death squads that have allegedly killed thousands of people, could be jailed for life if she is found guilty of drug trafficking.

“I have no plans of fleeing and I have no plans to go in hiding. I will face all these charges,” a tearful De Lima told reporters at the Senate in the early evening after a Manila court issued the arrest warrant.

De Lima then went to her home in another part of the capital after believing she had secured an agreement with authorities to surrender on Friday morning.

But, after police were seen on national television driving to her home to arrest her, De Lima quickly left and returned to the perceived safety of the Senate building.

De Lima appealed late on Thursday night for police not to arrest her overnight, and committed to surrendering on Friday.

“If they respect the Senate as an institution, they should not force an arrest tonight,” she told reporters at the Senate.

Police followed her to the Senate. But, signalling an apparent pause to a night of intense drama, the head of security at the Senate and De Lima’s aides said police had committed to waiting until Friday morning to arrest her.

De Lima is accused of orchestrating a drug trafficking ring when she was justice secretary in the previous administration of Benigno Aquino.

But De Lima and her supporters insist she is innocent, and that Duterte wants to crush one of his most vocal and enduring critics.

De Lima this week branded Duterte a “sociopathic serial killer” as she called for ordinary Filipinos to stand up in opposition to his drug war, which has seen more than 6,500 people killed since he took office eight months ago.

De Lima’s Liberal Party, which ruled for six years under Aquino, voiced deep anger on Thursday at her imminent arrest.

“This arrest is purely political vendetta and has no place in (a) justice system that upholds the rule of law. This is condemnable. We reiterate that an arrest based on trumped-up charges is illegal,” it said in a statement.

The party also said it feared for De Lima’s life once she was arrested, citing the police killing of another politician, Rolando Espinosa, inside a jail cell in November last year after he was arrested on drug charges.



The National Bureau of Investigation said the police who raided the jail murdered him and that he was defenceless. But Duterte defended the police and vowed they would not be jailed.

Duterte, 71, won the presidential election last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people.

He immediately launched the crackdown after taking office in June and police have reported killing 2,555 drug suspects since then, with about 4,000 other people murdered in unexplained circumstances.

Amnesty International has warned that police actions in the drug war may amount to crimes against humanity.

Amnesty said Thursday that, if De Lima was arrested, it would regard her as a prisoner of conscience.

“The arrest of de Lima is a blatant attempt by the Philippine government to silence criticism of President Duterte and divert attention away from serious human rights violations in the ’war on drugs’,” it said.

But Duterte’s aides said De Lima’s imminent arrest showed even the most powerful people would be brought to justice if they broke the law.

“The war on illegal drugs targets all who are involved and the arrest of an incumbent senator demonstrates the President’s strong resolve to fight pushers, peddlers and their protectors,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said. </s> Philippines Senator Leila de Lima is "preparing for a worst-case scenario" over the possibility of charges being filed and the issuance of an arrest warrant against her over her alleged role in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison.

The Liberal Party senator has frequently clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte and claimed it has long been his ambition to see her jailed. She also referred to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II's recent statement that an arrest warrant against her could be served "anytime" soon.

"I've been preparing for a worst-case scenario because it's long been ordered by the president," de Lima said on Monday (13 February). "Hasn't he said for the longest time that he wants me locked up in jail to suffer the fate of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?"

"Those are his words, not mine. So Duterte and his allies have long been plotting against me," she added. Recent reports suggest that de Lima could be indicted this week.

De Lima has been accused of tolerating and gaining from the outlawed narcotics trade at the New Bilibid Prison by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), former officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the NBI itself, according to Inquirer.net. Convicted drug lord Jaybee Sebastian also filed a complaint against de Lima which was consolidated by the Department of Justice (DoJ).

The senator said she does not know when an arrest warrant will be issued. "But Secretary Aguirre has confirmed that the resolution (for the warrant of arrest) would be released very, very soon. And then he had statements like 'she should better brace herself for an arrest,'" she added.

De Lima said her case should be filed with the Office of the Ombudsman as she is a government official. "Instead of bringing the resolution to the Ombudsman, which has jurisdiction over me, they would go straight to regular courts to secure an arrest warrant," she claimed.

Aguirre II hit back against the accusations on Monday, calling them "totally erroneous". He said: "As a lawyer and as a former secretary of justice, she should know that the DoJ does not issue warrants of arrest.

"Consequently, it is totally irresponsible of her to announce that the DoJ is expediting the issuance of such warrants. That is a blatant lie and a total misinformation. Senator De Lima's motivation for saying such is beyond us," he added.

As the battle between de Lima and public officials rages on, the senator said she has instructed her legal team to prepare charges of subornation of perjury and tampering of witnesses against Aguirre II.

"Yes, my legal team is working on it. We are filing our own complaint against Secretary Aguirre with the Office of the Ombudsman," de Lima confirmed. She has repeatedly accused the justice secretary of forcing witnesses to testify against her during an investigation into her alleged drug links. </s> Manila: Senator Leila De Lima was detained in a jail at the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Metro Manila’s suburban Quezon City after her arrest from the Senate for three drug-related cases.

The legislator is being accused of protecting convicted international and local drug lords from 2010 to 2016, when she was justice secretary, to raise millions of pesos for her senatorial bid with the Liberal Party in the May 2016 polls.

“A motion to quash the case against de Lima and question jurisdiction of a lower court in suburban Muntinlupa on her case, were filed, resolutions of which would take days,” said her lawyer Bonifacio Tacardon, adding they will raise the same issue in the Supreme Court.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre alleged the government had “thwarted plans” of pro-De Lima factions to offer P100 million (Dh8.3 million) to eight convicted international and local drug lords to officially recant their testimonies against De Lima — on February 25 — before the 31st anniversary of the people-backed military mutiny that ousted former president Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.”

“The retraction of testimonies would be used by people supporting De Lima to join another people-power to oust President Rodrigo Duterte. If the revolution wins, all high profile inmates who recanted their testimonies will be released from prison: that was promised to them,” said Aguirre in a TV interview. Their earlier testimonies at the senate nailed de Lima’s alleged involvement in illegal narcotics trade.

After emerging from the Senate where she was arrested at eight Friday morning, De Lima said, “I have the honour to be imprisoned for something I’m fighting for [questioning alleged human rights violation of President Duterte]. I am innocent. There is no truth to the lies I am charged with — that I benefited from illegal drug trade. The truth will come out at the right time.”

Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party that was once led by former President Aquino, said, “The LP is not involved in any bribe-giving of witnesses. This is ridiculous.”

“Sen. De Lima has accepted her current situation. She has realised that this is a process that she has to go through. She’s OK, she’s holding up and well, she’s a very courageous woman and very strong-willed. We’re here to lend our moral support for her,” said Pangilinan.

Government’s chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo also said, “She is now given the opportunity to refute any and all allegations and/or evidence to be presented by the prosecution against her.”

But former whistle blower Sandra Cam called De Lima a coward and held a protest rally in front of the Senate when De Lima went there to hide and evade arrest late Thursday.

While in hiding at the Senate, De Lima confessed, “I feel less safe if arrested in the evening. I will stay here in the Senate and wait for the sun to rise.” Arresting officers arrived at the office of the Senate Sargeant- at-Arms at 11 Thursday evening,

At the time, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Interior Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno agreed that De Lima should be arrested at eight Friday morning.

De Lima was the highest official ever indicted for alleged involvement in illegal drug trade, Duterte said, adding that lawmakers, local government officials, and top ranking policemen are protecting international and local drug lords.

De Lima has led local and international rights groups in criticising Duterte’s campaign against illegal drug trade which has killed more than 7,700 since July. Because of irregularities, Duterte barred the police from the campaign. The police admitted responsibility for 2,500 deaths, and blamed drug syndicates for the rest of the fatalities.

Illegal drug trade has reached $4.8 billion a year in the Philippines in 2013, authorities said. </s> SENATOR Leila De Lima is preparing for the worst following the recent announcement of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd that the Department of Justice (DoJ) may issue a resolution against her very soon.

De Lima said she has long been expecting the release of the resolution and her possible arrest in connection with the cases filed against her. The senator is facing five drug trafficking complaints filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly receiving payoffs from high profile drug convicts inside the National Bilibid Prison (NBP).

The senator is also facing complaints for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act because of her alleged links to Eastern Visayas drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

“I really don’t know when the arrest warrant will be issued. I’m just saying that Secretary Aguirre has confirmed that they will issue the resolution against me and that I better brace myself,” she added.

But the senator said Aguirre should also prepare to answer the complaints that she will be filing against him.

 De Lima mentioned the issue regarding the confidential memorandum about the privileges extended to high-profile convicts detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) custodial center in Camp Aguinaldo.

The convicts, who testified against De Lima during the inquiry held by the House committee on justice on the proliferation of illegal drugs at the NBP last year were reportedly allowed to use cell phones and other gadgets while in detention.

“These are definitely illegal acts that a secretary of justice should not be doing,” she said. Senate President pro-tempore Franklin Drilon said that should an arrest warrant be issued against De Lima, those tasked to carry out the order should follow the law.

“By tradition we will oppose service of the warrant of arrest inside the session hall. The sanctity of the session hall must be respected,” Drilon noted.
A warrant of arrest is to be served on Philippines opposition leader and senator Leila de Lima.