MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the recent acquittal of former senator Leila de Lima from her illegal drug trade cases is a proof that the Philippine justice system is working properly.
The Chief Executive made the remark when asked on Thursday if his administration’s position on not allowing the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators to enter the country still stands.
“Maybe this is something we should show the ICC. The Judiciary is working properly. Our investigative services are working properly and former senator de Lima has been acquitted,” Marcos said.
He added: “We still stay with our position that the ICC had no jurisdiction in the PH because we have a working police force, we have a working judiciary and do not require any assistance in that regard.”
De Lima was fully freed from all her illegal drug-related cases after a Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court granted her demurrer to evidence in her last and third drug case on Monday.
De Lima, a former Department of Justice secretary during the Aquino administration, was slapped with multiple illegal drug trade cases during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
However, the witnesses that testified against the former senator before have one by one recanted their statements, resulting to the dismissal of all the three drug cases against her.
The ICC is investigating the bloody “war on drugs” campaign during the Duterte administration, which killed thousands of suspected drug users, according to human rights groups./PN
