De Lima asks court's permission to visit ailing mom.

By Jonathan Hicap

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima has asked a Muntinlupa court to allow her to visit her ailing 86-year-old mother in Iriga City in Camarines Sur.

De Lima attended a hearing on Friday in a drug case pending before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205.

In her very urgent motion for furlough filed by her lawyer with the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256, which is handling another drug case of the senator, De Lima is asking that she be allowed to visit her mother, Norma Magistrado de Lima, on August 15 or earlier, for the last time.

De Lima said she was informed on August 8 that her mother was again hospitalized, and was presently in critical condition.

"Further, she was informed that, this time, the latter's doctors have advised against prescribing or administering more drugs considering Mrs. De Lima's advanced aged and extremely weakened condition, which, according to her doctors, may cause her to expire any time soon," the motion read.

Since she was arrested on Feb. 24, 2017, or for the past 897 days, Sen. De Lima has seen her mother only twice, first on Dec. 23, 2018 when her mom was brought to her detention center in Camp Crame for a Christmas visit, and last June 16 during the thanksgiving dinner of the senator's son, Vincent Joshua De Lima Bohol, who passed the Bar. The Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 granted De Lima's furlough for the latter.

"For most of her detention, or for nearly two years before the first (and only) visit of Mrs. De Lima, Accused De Lima was not able to see her mother because their family deemed it wise not to inform her of the true reason for Accused De Lima's absence from family gatherings, since finding out that her daughter has been arrested and detained might accelerate the decline of her health," the motion added.

Mrs. De Lima was diagnosed with dementia and the family deemed that "the long journey from Iriga City to Quezon City made regular visits not feasible."

She was rushed to a hospital in Iriga City last Aug. 4 where the admitting diagnosis was "body malaise, altered level of consciousness, hyponatremia."

The senator was informed that her mother's doctors "deemed her condition as critical and is said to be expected to further quickly deteriorate. Further, family members were told that, because of her advanced age and overall declining health, they do not think that administering more drugs would do much good, and that, all things considered, Mrs. De Lima is not expected to linger much longer."

"Accused De Lima appeals to the utmost kind consideration of the Honorable Court, as a daughter who wants to be able to see and, perhaps, hold her mother close for the last time. As a daughter, she owes everything to the woman who gave her life and, in her present predicament, the only way she could show her deepest love and appreciation for her mother's love and care over the last 60 years is to be with her in her last moments on earth," according to the motion.

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Sen. Leila de Lima (Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)