Detained former Senator Leila de Lima has asserted that she will gain her freedom on the grounds of the merits of her cases alone.
This was the ex- lawmaker's response to Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin 'Boying' Remulla who earlier pronounced that they will oppose the latter's bail request if this is not based on humanitarian grounds.
"The fact, we wanted to have bail is based on humanitarian grounds, not merits of the cases. If they insists on making the merits of the cases as ground of bail, then I guessed, we have to object to it. It is really our intention to grant her bail on humanitarian grounds," Remula told reporters in a chance interview on Thursday.
The DOJ chief also accused de Lima's legal counsels for "taking advantage" of DOJ's "softness" on the matter.
In a statement posted on her official Twitter account on Friday, the former Senator pointed out that the justice department has no case against her from the very beginning.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sec. Remulla has reportedly said that DOJ only agrees to a bail grant in my cases if based on humanitarian grounds and not on the merits. Here's my short reaction&mdash; I will gain my freedom on the merits, because the DOJ has no case against me from the very beginning. <a href="https://t.co/nPYTLdXDnd">pic.twitter.com/nPYTLdXDnd</a>
&mdash; Leila de Lima (@AttyLeiladeLima) <a href="https://twitter.com/AttyLeiladeLima/status/1649296073691893760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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"I thank Sec. Remulla for his concern about my ordeal, especially after I was taken hostage and almost killed in my detention cell," de Lima said.
"But I cannot thank him as the head of the agency that is primarily responsible for the fabrication of the charges against me during the time of Duterte, and maintained, to date," the former Senator added.
De Lima underscored that her justice and freedom are already "long overdue."
In February, the camp of the former opposition Senator <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/leila-de-lima-six-years-in-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked </a>a Muntinlupa court to dismiss the drug charges against her and grant her the right to post bail and immediate release on the grounds of lack of evidence.
Just last April 19, the DOJ filed a petition <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/doj-to-present-new-witness-vs-delima" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeking to reopen</a> one of de Lima's two drug cases in order to present new testimonies. But this plea was <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/de-lima-lawyers-oppose-doj-plea-to-reopen-her-trial-before-rtc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected </a>by the lawmaker's camp.

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De Lima asserts: 'I will gain freedom on the cases' merits'