Leila De Lima Dismayed in Denied Request to Join E-Rally of Cemelec
The Senatorial aspirant Leila De Lima air dismay at the decision of the court after her request to participate in the e-rally of Comelec was denied.
Senator Leila de Lima, who is now detained, was upset when her urgent request to allow her to attend the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) e-rally on Saturday was refused. She claimed that his refusal to participate in the e-rally deprives him of his right to present her platform to the general public.
“I wasn’t asking for special treatment, hence, did not ask for permission to leave the premises of the PNP Custodial Center. Still, the court junked my motion to allow participation in COMELEC’s e-rally through videoconferencing,” De Lima said in a statement.
“Given my situation, I just wanted to avail of this opportunity to freely communicate my platform to the Filipino electorate,” she added.
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In the 2022 elections, De Lima is one of the reelectionist candidates. Candidates can campaign online for three to ten minutes using the Comelec e-rally on Facebook.
Last February 22, De Lima filed a “very urgent motion” with the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204, demanding permission to join in the e-rally via videoconference call. The jailed senator’s appeal, however, is contingent on “legislative measures preserving a bona fide candidate’s right throughout the election period.”
This includes freedom from harassment and discrimination, as well as equal opportunity for public service, including access to media time and space, as well as an equitable right to respond in public information campaigns and candidate forums. The Muntinlupa RTC, however, dismissed her request in a ruling dated Feb. 25, stating that she cannot be treated the same as other applicants due to her ongoing imprisonment.
Meanwhile, De Lima stated that she just wants to use all reasonable and legal measures available to her under current election laws and COMELEC rules and regulations. “The COMELEC’s mandate to assure the holding of free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections via fair election processes under Republic Act No. 9006, including through the granting of COMELEC Space and Time,” she said.
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