FACT CHECK: Liza Marcos not behind Leila de Lima’s acquittal

Claim: First Lady Liza Marcos was behind former senator Leila de Lima’s acquittal in her drug charges as part of a conspiracy against former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video containing the false claim was posted on June 24, 2024, by the YouTube channel “DDS Watch,” which has over 290,000 subscribers. As of writing, the video has 617 views and 18 likes. It was also shared to DDS Watch’s Facebook page with about 19,000 followers.

At the 2:38 mark, the video’s commentator says: “Kung si De Lima ay naabsuwelto, mga kababayan…dahil, ayon sa ating source, ay naimpluwensiyahan ni Lisatanas dahil gagamitin nga nila si De Lima para gumanti kay Duterte. Kaya sila nagkampihan na.”

(If De Lima was absolved, my dear compatriots, our source says it is because of the influence of “Lisatanas” because they will use De Lima to retaliate against Duterte. That’s why they have teamed up.)

The video uses “Lisatanas” to refer to the First Lady, a play on her first name “Liza” and “Satanas” (devil).

The facts: The video provides no evidence of the First Lady’s alleged influence and involvement in De Lima’s acquittal, merely citing an unnamed source. The commentator only expressed her reaction to the recent news about De Lima’s legal victory.

After seven years, the former senator was cleared of all criminal charges. On June 24, the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 206 cleared her of the third and last charge of conspiracy to commit drug trading. This was the same court that granted her bail in November 2023.

The court said the witnesses’ testimonies were not enough to establish a drug trading conspiracy involving De Lima and her fellow accused.

The charges against De Lima were filed during the term of former president Duterte, who was relentless in attacking the former senator for having investigated his bloody war on drugs.

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Marcos-Duterte rift: The video was posted amid the ongoing rift between the Marcos and Duterte camps, which came to a head with Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation from the Marcos Cabinet, signaling the breakup of the Uniteam political alliance.

Since early 2024, the two camps have engaged in a word war, accusing the other of involvement in illegal drugs. In April, the First Lady confirmed suspicions she and the Vice President were not on good terms.

Debunked: Rappler has published several fact-checks about De Lima:

– Jene Pangue/Rappler.com

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