THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) granted the request of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to give Senator Leila de Lima until 10 a.m. on Friday, February 24, before they serve the arrest warrant against her.
Ron Munsayac, executive assistant of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, said De Lima's arrest will happen before 10 a.m. Friday.
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jose Balajadia said the CIDG was kind enough to grant their request to allow De Lima to stay in the Senate for her own safety.
(Video by Al Padilla)
De Lima earlier said she felt "less safe" if she were arrested at night.
On Thursday night, the CIDG went to De Lima's house in South Bay Village, ParaƱaque City past 10 p.m. but the senator was nowhere to be found.
The CIDG followed her at the Senate past 11 p.m., however, De Lima insisted to stay at her office until the morning.
The arrest warrant was issued by the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 204, which handles one of her three drug cases.
De Lima is facing three drug-related charges in connection with her alleged involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice Secretary under the Aquino administration.
In an interview, De Lima said she wanted to spend the night with her family and assured authorities that she will not attempt to escape.
De Lima earlier questioned the arrest order and succeeding issuance of arrest warrants by the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 204, citing the motions to quash her camp had filed with the court.
In a press conference Thursday night, De Lima confirmed her looming arrest and requested the authorities to allow her to spend the night with her family and promised to surrender to authorities on Friday, February 24.
"Wala po akong balak takasan yang mga kaso ko. Wala po akong balak magtago dahil haharapin ko po ang mga kaso na yan...Tuloy ang laban ni Leila de Lima (I have no plans of escaping. I will not hide because I will face the cases filed against me. I will continue the fight)," she said.
Arrest warrants were also issued against her co-accused Ronnie Dayan and former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Marcos Ragos.
Dayan, the senator's former aide and alleged lover, was arrested around 7 p.m. Thursday by the Urbiztondo police in Pangasinan.
Dayan was the alleged bagman of De Lima, while Ragos delivered drug money to the senator when she was then-Justice Secretary.
Aside from the case, which has been subject of the arrest warrant, two other cases are being handled by Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 and 206. (ABC/SunStar Philippines)
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