Philippine court rejects bail request by former opposition senator who opposed deadly drug campaign

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine court has rejected a request for bail by a former opposition senator and justice secretary who criticized then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly crackdown on illegal drugs and instead was accused by his administration of drug dealing and was jailed more than six years ago. U.S. and European legislators have demanded the release of former Sen. Leila de Lima, 63, currently the Philippines’ most prominent prisoner. The Manila Regional Trial Court rejected de Lima’s argument in her request for bail that prosecutors failed to prove that she conspired with a codefendant and received payoffs from drug dealing in the national penitentiary when she served as justice secretary and wielded control over the country’s prisons.