(Eagle News) — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II advised Senator Leila de Lima not to be choosy as to where she would be detained, after the senator refused the earlier offer of the Philippine National Police to have her detained at the PNP Detention Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Aguirre said it was actually the Muntinlupa regional trial court which would determine where De Lima would be detained.
“She does not want to be detained in the PNP Custodial Center. She does not want to be detained at the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) AFP Custodial center. If that will be the case then it would be the Muntinlupa RTC which would determine the place. Actually it would be the court which would determine the place of arrest,” Aguirre said, commenting on De Lima’s choosiness as to her place of detention.
He said that if there are times that the arrested suspects would want special attention or certain other demands, it is the Muntinlupa court that would already determine this.
-Detention in Muntinlupa City jail, possible
He said that usually suspects ordered arrested by the Muntinlupa RTC are detained at the Muntinlupa City’s regular jails.
“Almost 99 percent, they are ordered detained at the Muntinlupa city jail,” Aguirre noted.
De Lima had earlier claimed she would not feel safe if she would be detained at the PNP Custodial Center where two other fellow senators were being detained on plunder charges, namely Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada.
Ironically, the plunder charges against Revilla and Estrada were filed by the Department of Justice when De Lima was still the Justice Secretary prepared by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) when De Lima was still the Department of Justice chief in September 2013 before the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman then filed the plunder charges against Revilla, Estrada and Senator Juan Ponce Enrile before Sandiganbayan in June 2014.
The detention cell being prepared for De Lima already had new beddings, according to the PNP.
“We are preparing the space,” PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Tuesday.
But they are still not sure if De Lima would want to be detained there.
The senator has been arrested for illegal drug trading, a non-bailable offense.
She has said before that she would prefer a safe and secure detention cell.
She had earlier criticized alleged privileges being enjoyed by some high-profile inmates at the Armed Forces of the Philippines custodial center in Camp Aguinaldo.
Aguirre pointed this out. He wondered why the lady senator would have a special request for her detention cell, when she had earlier denounced alleged special privileges being enjoyed by the high-profile drug suspects who had pinned her down on the illegal drug trading charge.
“Kung tinitira niya yung pag aircon lamang dapat hindi rin dapat nyang hilingin para sa kanyang sarili because we have to be pantay-pantay,”” the justice chief said earlier.
–Aguirre assures De Lima’s safety
Nevertheless, Aguirre assured De Lima that she would be safe in whatever prison cell she would be placed.
“Wala naman siguro. I’m sure 99 percent,” the justice secretary earlier told reporters after his ad interim appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).
He said that De Lima would be safe wherever she would be detained. “Definitely, she will be safe kung saan man.”
De Lima expressed concerns for her safety before, fearing she could be a victim of extrajudicial killings under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Ang pakiusap ko lang po, sakaling may mangyari na, God forbid, yung eventuality na yan, ay sana ilagay naman ako sa isang lugar na magiging safe and secure ako,” De Lima said. “Marami na ho ang nangyayari, ‘di ba? Pinapatay din sa loob ng selda. So, what is another EJK?” she said before.
Ironically, De Lima had repeatedly denounced President Duterte for the numerous extrajudicial killings which she all blamed on his administration.
Aguirre said De Lima should not worry, as her life would be safe while under detention, contrary to her fears and usual criticism of the Duterte administration.
