To facilitate the bills referred to her committee, Senate President Vicente Sotto III has asked the Philippine National Police to allow Senator Leila de Lima to conduct hearings while detained at the PNP Custodial Center over the illegal drugs charges against her.
He told reporters that De Lima, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, did not ask for it when he visited her at her detention facility.
“It was part of our mutual concern to facilitate the House bills referred to her new committee,” Sotto said.
Sotto’s request-letter was sent to PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde on July 2 or four days after he visited De Lima on June 28 to check on her condition and discuss the bills she is pushing.
A copy of Sotto’s letter to Atayde was provided to reporters on Friday. Sotto said he had not yet received a reply from Albayalde.
In his letter, Sotto urged Albayalde to allow De Lima, head of the Senate committee on social justice, welfare and rural development, to conduct hearings on the bills referred to her committee while she is in detention.
“As the Senate President, I am giving Senator De Lima full authority to discharge her duties as chair of the committee, particularly to conduct and personally preside over its hearings—similar to what had been done by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV during his detention,” Sotto said.
“This request is being made so the relevant measures that are currently pending in the committee will be given opportunity to be heard and be deliberated on by the Philippine Senate, consistent with Section 24 of the Senate Rules.”
Sotto assured Albayalde that, during the conduct of the hearings, the Senate contingent will abide by the PNP’s internal rules and regulations and arrangements will be made before the conduct of the hearing.
De Lima has been detained since February last year over allegations she allowed the illegal drug trade to proliferate inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary in exchange for drug money for her senatorial campaign in 2016. She has repeatedly denied the accusation and accused the Duterte administration of political persecution.
Meanwhile, Liberal Party president and Senator Francis Pangilinan said it was “right and just” for detained Senator Leila de Lima to perform her duties as a lawmaker.
Pangilinan expressed gratitude to Sotto for formally seeking the participation of De Lima in the hearings lodged before her committee.
“It is right and just for Senator De Lima to be allowed to perform her duties as a member of the legislature,” he said in a statement.
Pangilinan said De Lima had expressed her desire to carry out her functions as a lawmaker and help craft laws beneficial to the people.
He said he hoped the PNP would heed Sotto’s request.