De Lima hoping for dismissal of drug case  


Former senator Leila de Lima on April 28 attended the last hearing on one of her two remaining drug cases in a Muntinlupa court, which will issue its decision on May 12. 

De Lima, who has been in detention for more than six years, attended the hearing at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204, which is handling case 17-165.  

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Former senator Leila de Lima, escorted by the police, arrives at the Muntinlupa Hall of Justice on April 28 to attend the last hearing in one of her two remaining drug cases (Contributed photo)

It is one of the three drug cases that the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed against De Lima in February 2017, or less than a year after she won as senator in the May 2016 elections. One of the cases was dismissed by a Muntinlupa court in February 2021. 

The hearing was held after the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 granted the request of government prosecutors to reopen the case and present their rebuttal evidence and new witness. 

During the hearing, the prosecution presented lawyer Demiteer Huerta of the Public Attorney's Office as witness. 

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. 

However, 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 in an affidavit he issued in April last year. 

Ragos 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. 

Despite reopening the case, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 said the promulgation of the decision will still be held on May 12 as earlier scheduled. 

“Nag-order na si Judge [Abraham Joseph Alcantara] na itutuloy niya ang paglabas ng kanyang decision sa May 12, 2023 (The judge ordered that he will release his decision on May 12, 2023),” said lawyer Boni Tacardon, De Lima’s legal counsel, after the hearing. 

He added, “Umaasa kami na sana lalabas na yung katotohanan at naniniwala kami na dedesisyunan ito ng hukuman base sa ebidensiya at merito ng kaso na isinampa laban kay senator Leila de Lima (We are hoping that the truth will come out and we believe that the court will decide based on evidence and merits of the case that was filed against senator Leila de Lima).” 

Tacardon declined to comment on Huerta’s court testimony, saying they are leaving it up to the court to decide. 

De Lima, through Tacardon, encouraged the public to join her in praying that the case will be decided on May 12 in her favor. 

“Umaasa siya na ang hukuman ay magdedesisyon nga base sa ebidensiya at merito ng kaso (She is hoping that the court will decided based on evidence and merits of the case),” Tacardon quoted De Lima as saying. 

Before this, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 256 will issue its decision on De Lima’s petition for bail on May 8. 

Under case 17-167, De Lima, former Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Jesus Bucayu, Wilfredo Elli, Jaybee Sebastian (now deceased), Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez and Jose Adrian Dera are accused of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading. 

The DOJ originally filed three cases of illegal drug trading against De Lima and others but changed them into conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.