00:00 [Music]
00:09 [News Anchor speaking in Tagalog]
00:19 [News Anchor speaking in Tagalog]
00:26 [News Anchor speaking in Tagalog]
00:29 [Applause]
00:32 After more than 6 years,
00:34 [Applause]
00:38 while former Senator Laila Delima was released,
00:41 the court allowed Delima to appeal for her third and remaining drug case.
00:46 The court said that Delima should be allowed to appeal and to defend the accused
00:51 because the prosecution is unbiased that the accused are guilty.
00:57 Former Delima's driver, Ronnie Dayan,
01:01 Jonel Sanchez,
01:02 and Adrian Dera,
01:04 and former Bucoy Chief, Franklin Bukayo, were allowed to appeal.
01:07 Each accused was allowed to appeal for P300,000.
01:10 Finally, I will be free.
01:14 For years, for years,
01:18 my whole being has been crying out
01:23 for justice and freedom.
01:28 For more than 6 long years,
01:31 I've been praying,
01:33 praying so hard for this day to come.
01:37 Sir, you are granted bail.
01:39 Ronnie, what do you say?
01:41 Sir, what do you say?
01:43 Delima's supporters voiced their support for the decision.
01:47 Laila is free!
01:49 Laila is free!
01:51 Justice is won!
01:52 Delima's camp looked at this as the beginning of the former senator's dismissal.
01:57 Because of the granting of the bail,
01:59 which is technically a resolution or an evaluation of the evidence of the deal this week,
02:07 eventually this will be dismissed.
02:11 From the court, Delima returned to the PNP Custodial Center
02:15 to undergo a physical and medical examination while waiting for his release order.
02:20 From Krame, Delima went straight to a hotel for a press conference.
02:25 On the other side of the court, she did not regret anything.
02:29 No regrets.
02:31 Yes, I wish things turned out differently,
02:34 but these are things that were beyond my control.
02:37 They may have taken years of my life,
02:39 but they will never take my humanity.
02:42 The world is full of people who are open-minded and independent
02:49 in the face of the oppression of the people.
02:52 I will never be one of them.
02:54 In August 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte accused Delima
02:59 of accepting campaign funds from drugs.
03:03 Delima is one of the critics of the former president.
03:06 I will have to destroy her in public.
03:08 Delima, you are finished.
03:12 In February 2017, Delima was charged with three separate cases related to illegal drugs.
03:18 The former Bureau of Corrections OIC Rafael Ragos served as a state witness.
03:24 But in April 2022, Ragos returned to his testimony.
03:28 He was forced to testify against Delima by the Secretary Vitalyano Aguirre.
03:35 In February 2021, Delima was acquitted in one of his cases.
03:39 He was acquitted in the second case of this May.
03:42 The last case where he was allowed to appeal.
03:45 He was charged with the possession of a large amount of drugs in the maximum security compound of the Philippines.
03:51 Jun Veneracion reporting for GMA Integrated News.
03:55 [music]
