MANILA — The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has allowed jailed lawmaker Leila de Lima, who is facing charges of running a protection racket for jailed drug lords, to vote in next week’s mid-term elections.
In an order dated April 30 released on Tuesday, Branch 205 Presiding Judge Liezel Aquiatan required de Lima to refrain from granting media interviews during the course of her furlough from noon to 2 p.m. of May 13 and to shoulder the cost of transporting her from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center to the poll precinct where she is registered in Parañaque City.
De Lima asked the Muntinlupa RTC to allow her to vote under the ‘Escorted Detainee Voting System’ in this year’s election after the Commission on Elections turned down her earlier request.
She had originally sought to vote in a special polling precinct at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
De Lima is a registered voter of Precinct No. 0648A in Parañaque City.