(Eagle News)–Senator Leila de Lima has argued the sedition complaint filed against her over the Ang Totoong Narco-list videos is “bereft of any imputation against her” in the first place, and should therefore be dismissed.
In her counter-affidavit filed on Sept. 9, De Lima said in fact, her name appears “only once” in the complaint, in the enumeration of names, but “nowhere else in the body..”
“Instead, the complaint inconsistently and vaguely attempts to lump some or all of the 38 persons listed therein under either one of two phrases namely ‘the respondents’ or the ‘above-enumerated personalities’ which appear to be distinct groups based on the complainant’s allegations..,” De Lima said.
According to De Lima, even if no direct imputation was made against her, she has been detained since February 24, 2017 and has been under PNP custody 24 hours a day for the last 928 days.
She said this means she could not have participated in the conduct and “airing” of Peter Joemel Advincula’s “lightning” press conference in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines headquarters in Pasig on May 6.
Advincula, who has claimed to be the yellow-hooded character in the videos against President Rodrigo Duterte’s family, alleged during the press conference that the claims in the videos were true.
He later said he was just forced to “peddle” the lies by members of the opposition under Project Sodoma aimed at toppling the administration.
This was used by the police as a basis in the filing of sedition charges.
De Lima denied knowing any member of her staff who goes by the name Atty. Fil, although she admitted her chief of staff was named Atty. Fhillip Sawali.
Based on Advincula’s affidavit, he met with Atty. Fil, Risa Hontiveros and Rappler’s Chay Hofileña to talk about how to topple the Duterte administration.
De Lima said, however, that she could not confirm that the Atty. Fil named in the complaint was Sawali.
“In any case, I have no personal knowledge of his dealings with other persons and vice versa, especially considering my ongoing detention and the fact that communication devices are among the list of contraband items identified by the PNP Custodial Center..,” she said.