After more than six years, one of the two remaining drug cases filed against former senator Leila de Lima will be finally resolved by a Muntinlupa court.
On April 17, De Lima attended a hearing for case 17-165 at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204.
Former senator Leila de Lima arrives at the Muntinlupa Hall of Justice on April 17 to attend a hearing in one her two remaining drug cases (Contributed photo)
According to Boni Tacardon, De Lima’s legal counsel, the promulgation of the decision in the case will be held on May 12.
“Submitted for decision na ang criminal case 165 laban kay senator Leila de Lima. Hinihiling namin ang dasal ng ating kababayan. Ipagdasal natin si senator Leila de Lima na sana mabasura na itong kaso na ito [Criminal case 165 against senator Leila de Lima has been submitted for decision. We are asking prayers from our countrymen. Let us pray for senator Leila de Lima for the dismissal of this case),” said Tacardon.
De Lima has been in detention for more than six years. On Feb. 17, 2017, under the Duterte administration, the Department of Justice (DOJ filed three cases of illegal drug trading against De Lima and others. The charges were later changed to conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.
One of the three cases was dismissed by a Muntinlupa court in February 2021.
Under case 17-165, De Lima and Ronnie Dayan are accused of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading allegedly during her time as justice secretary.
The case alleged that De Lima received P10 million in 2012, which supposedly came from the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.
De Lima was detained based on a warrant of arrest issued by the first judge that handled case No. 17-165. She surrendered to the police on Feb. 24, 2017 and has since been detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
The key government witness in the case, former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos, recanted all his allegations against De Lima and Dayan. He said he was coerced into making false testimonies against De Lima and Dayan in the case.
In his original affidavits and testimonies, Ragos claimed that he delivered P10 million to De Lima’s house in Paranaque: P5 million in November 2012 and P5 million in December 2012.
In an affidavit he executed on April 30, 2022, Ragos recanted all his statements and exonerated De Lima and Dayan. He also appeared in the Muntinlupa court to affirm his recantation, saying that the two accused were innocent of the charges.