Former senator Leila de Lima would be granted a home furlough by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. after being temporarily held hostage at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center on Sunday, October 9.
Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, the officer in charge of the Office of the News Secretary, was questioned about her thoughts on Senator Imee Marcos’ recommendation to grant the former legislator a home furlough during a press conference.
She stated that the President will not get involved in any cases that the courts are currently handling.
“Ang mga kaso po ni De Lima nasa korte na. So hayaan na lang po natin ang mga abogado niya to make the proper motion and the President cannot and will not intervene in any case that’s already with the courts,” said Garafil.
Following the hostage situation, Marcos promised to contact with De Lima and inquire about her desire to be sent to a different jail center. Security officers were also given the job of preventing a repeat of this tragedy in any future detention facilities.
De Lima, an outspoken opponent of the Duterte regime and a former secretary of justice, has been held at the PNP Custodial Center since February 2017.
She has consistently denied being involved in the spread of illicit narcotics.
“As I said, we’ll leave it up to the courts to decide if she’s going to be freed based on the evidence or merits of her case.” added Garafil.
