De Lima denies falsifying notarization of SC petition

DETAINED

Senator Leila De Lima has belied Solicitor General Jose Calida's allegation that she had falsified the notarization of the petition she filed with the Supreme Court (SC).

De Lima's legal counsel, Alex Padilla, echoed the senator's statement at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the SC's oral arguments on the petition filed by his client assailing the legality of her arrest over alleged participation in narcotics trade in the state penitentiary.

"According to De Lima, the notary public met with her at Camp Crame for the former to notarize the petition she signed," Padilla said.

"Contrary to the OSG's (Office of the Solicitor General) claim, the notary public was, in fact, in Camp Crame, when the senator was brought there," Padilla added.

Calida earlier accused the senator of falsifying the jurats in her petition.

Jurat is a portion in an affidavit that shows where, when and before whom the oath was sworn.

Calida said there was no "Atty. Maria Cecille Tresvelles-Cabalo" on February 24, the day De Lima was arrested, at Camp Crame.

According to Padilla, De Lima said that the OSG is "scraping the bottom of the barrel for whatever argument is left to support her continued illegal detention."

"The senator said that the OSG attack is obviously borne out of desperation," the lawyer said.

The SC as of publication is conducting the second round of oral arguments on De Lima's petition that seeks to nullify the arrest order issued by Judge Juanita Guerrero of Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 last February 23.

The remaining Associate Justices will have to finish interpellating former Solicitor General and now De Lima's legal counsel Florin Hilbay before Solicitor General Jose Calida, who represents respondents in the case, can present his arguments.