De Lima’s pet dog visits her in detention cell

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima was visited by her faithful companion, “Coco”, for the first time on Saturday at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame. (PNA photo)

MANILA—Detained Sen. Leila de Lima was visited by her faithful companion, “Coco”, for the first time on Saturday at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

Coco is a six-year-old Japanese Spitz who happens to be De Lima’s favorite out of her 13 dogs of various breeds.

De Lima, who has been detained for nine days now, has mentioned about Coco in previous interviews, noting that she loved having her favorite pet sleep by her side.

Her staff claimed that Coco has followed his owner wherever she went.

Coco was reportedly seen eyeing a stray cat through the slit of a steel gate in PNP’s custodial center.

Also among De Lima’s visitors on Saturday were her former colleagues in the Cabinet of the Aquino administration—Julia Abad, Bro. Armin Luistro, and Dinky Soliman. Former President Benigno S. Aquino III, himself, visited his former Justice Secretary earlier on Thursday.

On Feb. 24, De Lima was arrested by police for alleged drug trafficking charges.

Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 Judge Juanita Guerrero issued the arrest warrant against De Lima and her co-accused, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos and her former driver-bodyguard and alleged drug money bagman Ronnie Dayan.

De Lima, however, has stood by her innocence and vowed to prove it.