Bato insists De Lima arrest warrant not baseless

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said the illegal drug cases previously filed against former Senator Leila De Lima have been ruled out with evidence and the issuance of the arrest warrant is not baseless.

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, kahit na (even if) I don't agree but I cannot question the decision of the court. I have to respect it…Hindi ibig sabihin porke nadi-dismiss ngayon at noon nagho-hold water ang kaso ni Senator De Lima ay wala talagang basehan ang pagkaso sa kaniya (Just because the drug cases were dismissed, it does not mean that the cases against her were baseless)," dela Rosa stressed.

"In fact, nakasuhan siya, nalabasan ng warrant of arrest so korte ang nagbigay ng warrant of arrest so hindi natin masasabi na walang basehan (In fact, she faced cases and the court issued an arrest warrant so we cannot say they have no basis)," he added. 

On Monday, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 released its decision granting De Lima's motion for reconsideration on her bail petition in her remaining drug cases.

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

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

"Siguro nagbago lang ang paningin sa kaso ngayon na wala na si President Rodrigo Duterte pero talagang may basis iyong korte," he said.

"Better ask the court, 'no? ' The judges that dismissed it or those who have granted the bail to Sen. De Lima. Asked them, because they are the ones handling the case. We an outsider, 'yan ang obserbasyon. Kahit ikaw naman siguro, naobserbahan mo. Dahan-dahang nadi-dismiss, dahan-dahang nabibigyan ng bail (It's just an observation. You might have observed it also. Cases have gradually dismissed, the bail granted slowly)  and it's really happening," he continued. 

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

"Hindi po. Hindi pa kami nag-usap tungkol diyan (No. We have yet to talk about that)," Dela Rosa. 

De Lima was arrested in February 2017 for illegal drug charges, including her alleged agreement with New Bilibid Prison inmates to sell and trade illegal drugs to fund her 2016 senatorial bid.