Sen. Leila de Lima will not take part in the House of Representatives’ inquiry into the prevalence of drugs inside the New Bilibid Prisons, a facility that was under her purview during her time as justice secretary. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, De Lima said she was the one who exposed the persistence of the drug trade led by convicts at the national penitentiary. De Lima has courted the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies for her staunch stand against the administration’s war on drugs. She reiterated that she was not involved in the illicit trade, saying: “I am sure about myself.”“I am sure never involved in drugs, I never benefited with anything from drugs. And those who know me, they know I will never do that,” De Lima told reporters.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 23, 2016 08:52 UTC