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MANILA, June 7 (AP) — A Philippine court on Wednesday rejected the bail request of a former opposition senator and attorney general who criticized then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly crackdown on illegal drugs and was instead released from prison. Its government was charged with drug trafficking and jailed more than six years ago.
U.S. and European lawmakers are demanding the release of former Senator Leila de Lima, 63, now the Philippines’ most prominent prisoner, especially after a failed escape attempt last year when she was taken hostage by three Muslim militants.
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Manila District Trial Court Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura rejected de Lima’s argument in her bail request that prosecutors had failed to show she was serving as attorney general and controlling the country. Conspiracy with co-defendants while in prison and proceeds from state prison drug dealing.
“This court is satisfied that it is probable that the alleged crimes were committed and that the defendants were their agents,” Buenaventura said in his ruling.
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The court said de Lima’s abduction at the Philippine National Police camp detention center was an “isolated incident.”
The Leader of the Opposition also cited her failing health when applying for bail. The court said she could apply to the court for leave at any time to seek medical treatment.
De Lima has been in custody since 2017 on drug charges she says were fabricated by Duterte and his officials to thwart her allegations of widespread extrajudicial killings by Duterte as part of his campaign against illegal drugs. A Senate investigation into the allegations, which led to the deaths of thousands of mostly poor suspects, was under his arrest as mayor and president of Davao del Sur in 2016.
De Lima had been expected to be released on bail under Duterte’s successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after she was released in two other drug-related cases after some witnesses withdrew their charges against her. .
De Lima’s lawyers said they would appeal the decision and criticized prosecutors for using the criminal’s testimony against her.
“We hope that in our motion for reconsideration the court will understand our position that the testimony of a convicted criminal can never be accepted or trusted,” they said in a statement.
Human Rights Watch said the court’s decision “extends the injustice that was done to her more than six years ago.”
“This is a far cry from her previous acquittals in two cases and clearly demonstrates the political nature of her persecution,” Human Rights Watch’s Carlos Conde said in a statement.
The drug killings under Duterte have sparked an ICC investigation as a possible crime against humanity. His tumultuous six-year term ended in June 2016 and was succeeded by Marcos, whose running mate and Duterte’s daughter won the vice presidency. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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