Drug cases not baseless, Bato says

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa asserted that the drug cases against former Senator Leila De Lima were supported by evidence, debunking claims of their invalidity and emphasizing the legitimacy of the arrest warrant.

In a television interview on Tuesday, Dela Rosa said while he cannot question the decision of the court over the gradual dismissal of illegal drug cases against the former senator, he could not agree with the court's note that the prosecution failed to strengthen the assertion that De Lima was guilty.

"Well, even if I don't agree, I cannot question the court's decision. I have to respect it. Just because the drug cases were dismissed, it does not mean that the cases against her were baseless," Dela Rosa said in Filipino. "In fact, she faced the cases, and the court issued an arrest warrant, so we cannot say they had no basis."

On Monday, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 released its decision granting De Lima's motion to reconsider her bail petition in her remaining drug case.

De Lima and her co-accused, former corrections director Franklin Bucayu, Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez, and Jad Dera were allowed to post bail of P300,000 each.

Dela Rosa, who was the Philippine National Police chief when De Lima was arrested, said it was his "personal observation" that De Lima's cases had been gradually dismissed maybe because the court's view on such cases possibly had changed since former President Rodrigo Duterte completed his term as president.

"Better ask the court? The judges who dismissed it or those who granted the bail to De Lima, ask them because they are handling the case. We are an outsider," he added.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa said he has yet to talk to Duterte about De Lima's release from detention after being imprisoned for almost seven years over narcotics-related charges.

No evidence it's politically motivated

Meanwhile, former Senate president Franklin Drilon said there's no evidence dragging former president Duterte in the filing of illegal drug charges against De Lima.

Drilon said it would be impossible to prosecute Duterte, who is now a private citizen, over allegations that the filing of narcotics-related charges against De Lima was politically motivated during his administration. 

"Right now, there is no evidence that former president Duterte induced and directed the filing of these unfounded charges," Drilon said Tuesday.

He, however, said former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III may be charged with perjury as there was evidence that he allegedly forced former Bureau of Corrections director Rafael Ragos to testify against De Lima.

"Right now, the evidence is against former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre because of the statement of Ragos," he said.

Ragos was the previous principal witness in one of De Lima's drug cases before the Muntinlupa RTC, where he implicated the latter as receiving bribe money from drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison.