De Lima eyes raps vs Bato

Former Senator Leila de Lima is considering filing charges against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa over allegations that he coerced ex-convict and self-confessed drug user Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa to implicate her in the illegal drug trade, which led to her unjust detention for over six years.

De Lima revealed in an interview on Monday that she was discussing the possibility of filing charges with her lawyers.

“I’m inclined to file cases against Senator Bato,” De Lima said. “Here we are, with a witness who directly and personally, under oath, implicated him when before there was none (witness).”

Espinosa, who was instrumental in the arrest of the then sitting Senator De Lima, told the House Quad Committee on Friday that he was pressured and threatened by Dela Rosa, who was then spearheading Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, to falsely accuse De Lima and Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim in the narcotics trade.

To recall, Espinosa testified in a series of Senate probes in 2016 that De Lima was part of the illicit drug trade inside the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City during her tenure as Justice secretary. His allegation resulted in De Lima’s detention.

However, in the recent House inquiry into alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous administration, Espinosa admitted that he had wrongfully accused De Lima out of fear for his life.

Shot dead

The ex-convict said that Dela Rosa intimidated him, threatening him with a fate similar to his father’s, former Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, who was shot dead in his jail cell in November 2016 amid allegations he was involved in narcotics. Both father and son were on Duterte’s narco-list.

An enraged Dela Rosa denied Espinosa’s allegation, calling him a “liar” and threatening to punch him in the face.

De Lima said Espinosa’s revelation came as no surprise, as she always knew he had been coerced.

“When he appeared before the Senate hearing, I knew he was coerced under gunpoint because it was just barely two weeks after the assassination of his father,” she said.

ICC play

Meanwhile, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro expressed confidence that Espinosa’s testimony had nothing to do with the 2025 elections, in which he will run for mayor of Albuera.

“He just got an opportunity now. We have to understand that the quad committee inquiry started recently. It just so happened that it coincided with the election filing,” she said in Filipino in an interview on Monday.

According to Luistro, Espinosa’s testimony required a “deeper investigation” not only to substantiate the filing of charges but also to assist the quad committee in making a “correct and balanced” conclusion.

Moreover, she implied that the testimony could also be submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is probing Duterte’s alleged EJKs, given that it was made under oath, which carries the weight of a sworn statement.

The Office of the Solicitor General, however, has thumbed down the idea of the ICC being brought in to investigate the alleged EJKs.

“What is clear is that there should have been no killings. EJKs are synonymous with summary executions. Even without a hearing, even without a case, even if the victims did not resist arrest, they were killed, and that is not only legally wrong but also morally wrong,” Luistro said.

The government reported more than 7,000 deaths during Duterte’s notorious drug war. However, local and international human rights organizations estimated the death toll exceeded 30,000, predominantly affecting low-income families and communities.