MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday it is up to the courts to decide on the request of Senate President Vicente Sotto III to allow Sen. Leila De Lima to hold legislative hearings at the detention center in Camp Crame. 

PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde responded to Sotto's request in a letter that the Senate President's office received Wednesday.

"It is with regret that the PNP cannot appropriately act on the matter considering Senator De Lima’s status as a detention prisoner with restricted right to exercise profession and hold public office," the letter read.

"Consequently, any matter pertaining to requests to exercise her legislative functions as an elected senator and conduct committee hearings for such purpose is a matter for the Court having jurisdiction over her pending case/s to decide."

PNP says up to courts to decide on Senate President Vicente Sotto’s request for detained Sen. Leila de Lima to hold Senate hearings in Camp Crame. pic.twitter.com/npgkz0sban
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) July 11, 2018

Sotto earlier asked Albayalde to let De Lima "exercise her function as a senator" by conducting hearings on measures referred to the Senate Committee on Social Justice Welfare and Rural Development, which she chairs, inside the detention facility. 

Sotto urges PNP: Let De Lima mount Senate hearings in Crame

De Lima has been detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame since February 2017 over allegations that she accepted drug money from detained crime lords when she was still justice secretary. 

She has rejected the drug allegations against her, saying these were politically motivated.

More details to follow.

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