Senator Leila de Lima sees the hand of Malaca帽ang in the graft and terrorism complaint that has been recently dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman for lack of evidence.
De Lima said that the complaint filed against her contain 鈥渂aseless allegations鈥� that she aided in freeing suspected 鈥渉igh-value鈥� Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
According to De Lima, the Ombudsman鈥檚 dismissal of the case only validates her 鈥渟trong and unwavering conviction鈥� that the Duterte administration was responsible for all the 鈥減roxy complaints鈥� hurled against her.
鈥淭hese graft and terrorism cases are just among the many trumped-up cases filed against me, which are, indisputably, an attempt by the Duterte administration to persecute me,鈥� De Lima said in a statement.
De Lima said that the dismissed graft and terrorism complaint at the Ombudsman was filed 鈥渁round the same time the illegal drug trading charges were (filed against her) by personalities closely identified with the Duterte Administration.鈥�
鈥淭he people behind the complaint counted on the possibility that the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations would easily be accepted by the Ombudsman for the President鈥檚 fanatics to feast upon afterwards鈥攂ut the Ombudsman proved them wrong,鈥� the senator added.
READ: Ombudsman clears De Lima, et al. of terror, graft raps
De Lima continued to liken the dismissed complaint to all 鈥渢rumped-up drug charges鈥� filed against her by 鈥渢he vindictive Duterte regime,鈥� even describing it as 鈥渙utrageous and downright fake.鈥�
鈥淲ala itong pagkakaiba sa iba pang imbentong kaso laban sa akin ng rehimeng Duterte. Malinaw na batay lamang ito sa kasinungalingan鈥攕a kagustuhan nilang patahimikin ako sa aking mga ipinaglalaban at sirain ang aking pangalan at integridad,鈥� she stressed.
Moreover, the senator noted that among those who filed criminal complaints against her have since been appointed to high government positions.
De Lima then cited the appointments of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) head Dante Jimenez, who is now chairman of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission; and Sandra Cam, who is now a board member of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
In a resolution dated January 16, the Office of the Ombudsman absolved De Lima and several others in the complaint filed by human rights activists Temogen Tulawi and Abner Salahi Tahil in 2016.
De Lima鈥檚 defense asserted that the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) approved the recommendation of the DOJ Task Force on Terrorism to free 18 Muslim Filipinos, including three inmates, who were alleged to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
De Lima was a former Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ). /kga