Скачать или смотреть Court acquits ex-senator De Lima of drug charges

(12 May 2023)
++UPDATES LEILA DE LIMA TO FORMER JUSTICE SECRETARY++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Muntinlupa city - 12 May 2023
1. Supporters of former justice secretary Leila de Lima chanting in front of justice hall, pan left to bus arriving at building entrance
2. Mid of de Lima exiting vehicle; UPSOUND: (English) "I'm excited yet nervous but confident that truth and justice will reign today."
3. Supporter holding placard reading (English): "Free Leila De Lima!"
4. Supporters outside court building
5. Police surrounding de Lima; UPSOUND (English) de Lima “Answered prayers, this is a glorious day, this is the beginning of my vindication. May I say this to my oppressors, you can never crucify the truth.”
6. Media surrounding de Lima as she enters vehicle
7. Supporters holding placard reading (Tagalog): "Free Leila de Lima"
8. De Lima inside vehicle waving at supporters
9. Various of former senator's lawyer Boni F. Tacardon showing court document to media
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Boni F. Tacardon, lawyer of Leila de Lima:
“I have no doubt from the very beginning that I will be acquitted in all the cases the Duterte regime has fabricated against me based on the merits and strength of my innocence. That’s already two cases down and one more to go."
11. Wide of news conference
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Boni F. Tacardon, lawyer of Leila de Lima:
"I am of course happy that with this second acquittal in the three cases filed against me, my release from more than six years of persecution draws nearer."
13. De Lima waving at supporters from car, pan left to woman holding placard and waving back to the former senator
14. Various exteriors of Muntinlupa City Hall of Justice
STORYLINE:
A former Philippine opposition senator and justice secretary was acquitted of drug charges Friday after key witnesses recanted and said they had lied about her involvement in narcotics trafficking.

Leila de Lima remained jailed, however, as she has one outstanding charge against her.

Another charge was thrown out of court in 2021 but she has been in detention since her arrest six years ago.

De Lima was detained in 2017 on drug charges she says were fabricated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials in an attempt to silence her criticism of his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs.

It left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead and sparked an International Criminal Court investigation as a possible crime against humanity.

Trial court judge Abraham Alcantara acquitted de Lima and said in his ruling that the recantation of a former senior police official led to his decision to acquit.

Duterte, who has insisted on de Lima’s guilt, stepped down last June at the end of his turbulent six-year term.

De Lima said through her attorney that she was looking forward to her full acquittal on all charges.

She has been held in pre-trial detention since her arrest without any convictions.

AP video shot by Joeal Calupitan

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