(Eagle News) — Senator Leila de Lima refused to enter a plea when arraigned at the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court on Monday.
As a result, Branch 34 entered a not guilty plea over the disobedience to summons case filed against her by the Department of Justice last year, on December 21.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Rep. Rey Umali, who discovered that De Lima had told her former bodyguard-driver Ronnie Dayan to snub summons to attend the Lower House hearing into alleged drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison.
De Lima admitted sending Dayan’s daughter, Hanna Mae Dayan, text messages to that effect, but added that hers was just an advice and not an order.
“Asan ang hustisya sa ginagawa nila sa akin? Why call it obstruction of justice? Mas maganda ang itawag natin diyan obstruction of persecution. I am trying to obstruct the acts of persecution being done to me by this administration,” De Lima had said.
De Lima also faces cases in Branches 204, 205 and 206 of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.
The cases stem from her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trading in the national penitentiary when she was justice secretary.