Former senator Leila de Lima was released from prison last night after a Muntinlupa City court granted her bail in the last of three drug-related cases filed against her during the Duterte administration.

"I'm free, thank you! At long last I am now free after 2,424 days. Sweet, sweet freedom. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, everyone," de Lima said after her staff raised the P300,000 bail bond and completed all the necessary documents for her temporary liberty.

She was released following a medical checkup from the Philippine National Police custodial center in Camp Crame, Quezon City, where she narrowly escaped being killed during a hostage-taking incident in October 2022.

Earlier, as the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 announced its grant of bail to her and her fellow accused, De Lima's lawyer, Filibon Tacardon, said his client, "cried."

As she was being led out of the court and into a bus, surrounded by a phalanx of cops to be taken back the PNP custodial center for the last time, de Lima blurted out that she had been "praying hard for this day to come."

"It's very painful to be jailed despite being innocent," De Lima told reporters as she was being led to a bus by a phalanx of cops armed to the teeth to be taken back to prison for the last time. "This is a moment of triumphant joy and also thanksgiving," she said.

De Lima was one of the most outspoken critics of Rodrigo Duterte during his 2016–2022 presidency. She has maintained that the drug charges against her were politically motivated.

Tacardon said they expected the grant of bail "solely because of the merits of the case," adding, "we believe that she's innocent, we all believe that she's innocent, and all these charges are trumped up."

In reaction, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the court decision underscored the independence of the judiciary and the vitality of the country's democracy.

"It (bail order) demonstrates the judiciary's autonomy as I've consistently said, affirming their (justices' and judges') freedom to decide as they see fit," Remulla said. "This underscores that democracy is thriving in our nation."

The 64-year-old De Lima was accused of taking money from detainees at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa while she was overseeing the Bureau of Corrections as justice secretary from 2010 to 2015.

Two other drug-related cases filed against her had been dismissed after multiple witnesses, including NBP detainees, recanted their testimonies.

In detention, De Lima faced various health problems, including a pelvic organ prolapse that required an operation.

Taken hostage

In October last year, she was briefly taken hostage during an attempted breakout by three detained militants. A police officer shot dead one of the militants who had barged into her cell.

Prior to her arrest on 24 February 2017, De Lima had been investigating alleged extra-judicial killings purportedly perpetrated by state forces on the orders of Duterte to rid the country of drug pushers and users.

As human rights commissioner, she probed "death squad" killings during Duterte's time as mayor of Davao City.

She won a Senate seat in 2016 with, according to her accusers, the help of drug money. De Lima, however, lost a reelection bid in 2022 where she campaigned from behind bars.

Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Judge Gener Gito granted bail of P300,000 each to De Lima, former BuCor chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu, her alleged ex-lover Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez and Jose Adrian Dera.

Gito rendered the decision under criminal case 17-167 last 10 November on the motions for reconsideration filed by the accused on the earlier denial by the court of her bail petitions.

Acquitted in 2 cases

In October 2021, De Lima was acquitted of the charge of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade as the prosecution, according to the court, failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that she had conspired with convicted drug lords to receive drug money in exchange for her protection.

She was also acquitted in May 2023 of the charge of engaging in the illegal drugs trade as the prosecution's case crumbled after witnesses, including former BuCor chief Rafael Ragos, recanted their statements against her.

Ragos claimed to have delivered protection money to De Lima collected from gang bosses in 2012 to allow them to run their drug empires from behind bars.

Ragos' recantation created reasonable doubt, according to the court, as it stressed that "vigilance in eradicating illegal drugs cannot come at the expense of disregarding the rule of law."

Sought for comment, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, a staunch Duterte supporter who was the chief of the Philippine National Police when De Lima was arrested, said he respects the decision to grant her bail.

"I always respect court decisions as I always observe the separation of powers," he told reporters.                                           With AFP