Press Release
February 21, 2018

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the House grilling of the Muntinlupa Judges
Dispatch from Crame No. 246

Almost one year after my incarceration, House members still cannot get enough of me. I am already in prison, yet they still want to question the judges handling my cases why I was not jailed as swiftly as possible.

Despite the repeated denial of the Muntinlupa RTC Judges handling my cases that they did not receive any instructions to favor me by delaying my arrest, these honorable men - and a woman in the person of none other than Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - still chose to grill the judges and the Supreme Court Deputy Administrator for hours.

They were squeezing water out of stone. Larry Gadon was of course lying when he accused CJ Sereno of instructing the judges not to order my arrest, as he continuously lies in most allegations he throws at the Chief Justice during the protracted farcical impeachment proceedings. What was surprising was the attendance of Congresswoman Arroyo who, in support of Gadon, insinuated that it was unlikely that the judges were not influenced, citing the swiftness of her own arrest, and why my arrest was not as swift as hers.

Lest people forget, then President Arroyo was attempting to flee the country to evade the impending case/s against her, when the arrest warrant against her was issued. She was a flight risk. And I'm not.

The pressure that the lawmakers brought down on the judges bordered on the contumacious. The cases are still pending and here are congressmen throwing accusations at judges hearing said cases. It was a signal to any judge who will be hearing my cases that the lawmakers are not interested in objectivity, impartiality, and even the merits of the case, when it comes to handling my cases.

Whenever they appear to act prudently or even "favorably" to accused De Lima, these judges will always be accused of having been influenced or corrupted, and will be pilloried. It won't be a wonder then if more Muntinlupa judges would either inhibit or opt to retire early.

This has all become unreasonable, considering that a warrant of arrest was nevertheless issued against me only days after the charges were filed with the sala of Judge Guerrero. Immediately after that, the issue of jurisdiction was raised before the Supreme Court, and it was only therefore prudent for the other judges to wait for the SC's ruling on the matter before assuming jurisdiction over my person by issuing a warrant of arrest.

The grilling of the judges showed how congressmen are wont to accept Gadon's allegations hook, line and sinker, despite the many perjured statements he had already made. It not only shows a prejudgment of the allegations against the Chief Justice, but more importantly, it demonstrates the predisposition of the lawmakers to undermine judges and the judiciary, as a whole, in their effort to bring down the Chief Justice and deliver her head as instructed by Malacañang.

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