Senator Leila de Lima. AP FILE PHOTO
No visit yet from Koko, the Senate President, but not to worry: here鈥檚 Coco to the rescue.
Sen. Leila de Lima on Saturday got her wish鈥攁 visit from Japanese spitz Coco, her favorite pet among her 13 dogs that include Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Labradors and Jack Russells.
Coco was allowed into the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame a week into De Lima鈥檚 incarceration, after the senator expressed her wish to see her furry friend.聽 The 6-year-old Coco apparently missed her as well, as he 鈥渇ollowed his beloved owner wherever she went鈥� during the visit, De Lima鈥檚 staff said.
The senator, who is facing nonbailable drug charges which she had described as 鈥渧indictive politics,鈥� has received several visitors since she was arrested on Feb. 24, among them Liberal Party (LP) allies: former President Benigno Aquino III, Senators Francis Pangilinan and聽 Antonio Trillanes IV, former Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, and former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman.
Senate President Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III, who has yet to visit De Lima, said he would check on her 鈥渋n due time.鈥�
Even in detention, De Lima has continued to participate in the national discourse, issuing handwritten notes and statements from her quarters.
On Saturday, she scored the shadowy group behind #Lenileaks #Nagaleaks, alleged exposes against Vice President Leni Robredo, the LP member holding the highest position in government.
鈥淓nough of your lies. Enough of your evilness!鈥� De Lima said in a handwritten note from detention.
She also decried the fake story circulating in social media claiming she had attempted to commit suicide in detention, and said that such fake stories were being 鈥渞einforced鈥� by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez鈥檚 statement that she 鈥渟hould be detained in a mental hospital instead of the PNP Custodial Center.鈥�
Such 鈥渁lternative fact news鈥� were meant 鈥渢o condition the minds of the people that the worst can happen to me while in detention,鈥� De Lima said in a separate statement.