By Junex Doronio

FOR MORE THAN six years former Senator Leila de Lima languished in detention due to drug charges lodged against her by the previous Duterte administration and the granting of her bail on Monday has rekindled hope for the fledgling political opposition to bounce back.

Some political observers told Maharlika NuMedia that De Lima who has become a symbol of vindictiveness of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has the potential to rally and solidify the opposition forces, with Senator Risa Hontiveros who was the sole survivor of the opposition’s humiliating electoral defeat in 2022.

Ironically, Duterte earlier aired his intent to lead the “new opposition” against the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. after the House of Representatives led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez stripped the P650 confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

De Lima, who has been a vocal critic of FPRRD, had always maintained that the cases against her were trumped up due to her criticism of the former president.

Monday, the 13th of November, apparently was De Lima’s “lucky day” when she was granted bail by the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Her legal counsel, lawyer Filibon Tacardon disclosed that “bail was granted” following a hearing held at the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206.

De Lima’s camp said Judge Gener Gito granted the motion for reconsideration of the former lawmaker who sought a reversal of the denial of her bail that was ruled on by another judge who previously handled the case.

In his order, Gito also granted the motion for reconsiderations of De Lima’s four other co-accused who also sought to be granted bail, namely, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Franklin Bucayu, her former driver Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez, and Jose Adrian Dera.

The judge’s order stated all five accused are “allowed to post bail for three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) each.

It was learned that the drug case pending before Gito is the only one left among three filed against De Lima following her acquittal in the two other drug cases.

Under the remaining drug case, De Lima was charged with receiving P70 million from the proceeds of the illegal drug trading of New Prison Bilibid (NBP) inmates when she was still secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

(ai/mnm)