Former senator Leila de Lima is one step closer to freedom with the dismissal of two of the three drug cases filed against her by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Duterte administration in 2017 while awaiting a court ruling on her petition for bail.
The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 was supposed to rule on de Lima’s petition for bail last May 8 but deferred it after there was an issue in the marking of evidence by the prosecution.
After the hearing on May 12, Boni Tacardon, de Lima’s legal counsel, said they are awaiting the decision of the court on her petition for bail.
“Nakaschedule po yung presentasyon ng prosecution ng evidence in chief sa Branch 256 para sa criminal case number 167 sa June 5, 2023 at umaasa kami na mailabas yung resolusyon ng kanyang application for bail ni senator Leila de Lima at iba pa naming kasamang akusado sa kaso na iyon bago dumating ang petsang June 5, 2023 (The presentation by the prosecution of their evidence in chief in Branch 56 for criminal case number 167 is scheduled on June 5, 2023 and we are hoping that the resolution will be released on senator Leila de Lima’s application for bail and other accused in the case before the date June 5, 2023),” said Tacardon.
In a statement released through Tacardon, de Lima said, “I had no doubt from the very beginning that I will be acquitted in all the cases the Duterte regime has fabricated against me based on the merits and the strength of my innocence.”
“That's already two cases down, and one more to go. I am of course happy that with this second acquittal in the three cases filed against me, my release from more than six years of persecution draws nearer. I am extremely grateful to all those who stood by and prayed for me all these years,” she said.
Former senator Leila de Lima at the Muntinlupa Hall of Justice on May 12 (Juan Carlo De Vela)
Lawyer Boni Tacardon, De Lima's legal counsel, reads the former senator's statement on her acquittal on May 12 (Screenshot)
De Lima, who has been in detention for more than six years since Feb. 24, 2017, was acquitted by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 on May 12 under case 17-165, which accused her and Ronnie Dayan of getting P10 million that allegedly came from the proceeds of illegal drug trading at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa in November and December 2012.
The DOJ originally filed three cases of illegal drug trading against de Lima in 2017 but changed them to conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.
The Muntinlupa court dismissed the case against de Lima and Dayan based on the recantation of former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos, the key government witness, who originally claimed that he delivered the P10 million to de Lima’s house in Paranaque.
He issued an affidavit in April last year, recanting all his testimonies and affidavits against de Lima and Dayan.
Before this, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 dismissed case 17-166 against de Lima in February 2021 by granting her demurrer to evidence, which was “tantamount to her acquittal.”
The only remaining case is 17-167 under Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256. The accused in the case are de Lima, Dayan, former Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Jesus Bucayu, Wilfredo Elli, Jaybee Sebastian (now deceased), Joenel Sanchez and Jose Adrian Dera.
The case charged that between March 2013 to May 2015, the accused used inmates at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa to sell and trade dangerous drugs using mobile phones and other electronic devices, and allegedly got the proceeds amounting to P70 million.