Cebu legal luminaries Paredes, Barcenas believe De Lima’s acquittal long overdue
Retired judge Meinrado Paredes and veteran lawyer Democrito Barcenas were two Cebuano figures in the struggle for democracy during the martial law rule of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos. (CDN File photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines – “Long overdue and justice denied.”
This was how retired Judge Meinrado Paredes and veteran lawyer Democrito Barcenas described the development in the drug cases against former Sen. Leila de Lima.
“6 years of incarceration based on trumped up charges…justice delayed is justice denied,” Paredes told CDN Digital in a text message on Friday, May 12, 2023.
READ: Court acquits former Senator Leila De Lima
Barcenas, for his part, said the acquittal of de Lima in one of her cases is long overdue.
“The sacrifice of Sen. de Lima is a reflection of our rotten justice system,” he said.
Drug cases
On Friday, May 12, a Philippine court cleared former senator Leila De Lima—one of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s fiercest critics—of a criminal charge from accusations that she accepted money from drug dealers while serving as a cabinet member.
READ: Church leaders on de Lima’s acquittal: ‘Blatant misogyny’ led to her frameup
De Lima, 63, has spent the last six years in jail, and despite being found not guilty, she won’t be released right away because of another case pending in court.
In 2021, a court dismissed one of three drug cases filed against the former senator. /rcg
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