Former senator Leila de Lima will file an appeal to reverse the decision of a Muntinlupa court denying her request for bail in her last remaining drug case.
In a decision dated June 7, Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 denied the petitions and motions for bail filed by De Lima and co-accused Franklin Jesus Bucayu, Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez and Jose Adrian Dera in case 17-167.
Former senator Leila de Lima at the Muntinlupa Hall of Justice on May 12 (Juan Carlo De Vela)
The case, filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in February 2017, accused them of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading. . The DOJ 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.
In a statement, Boni Tacardon, De Lima’s legal counsel, said they are saddened by the court’s decision.
“Ikinalulungkot po natin na hindi pinahintulutan ng Korte ang inihain na petition for bail ni Senator Leila de Lima. Hindi po natin inaasahan ang desisyong ito. (We are saddened that the court did not allow the petition for bail filed by Senator Leila de Lima. We did not expect this decision),” he said.
Tacardon said the defense team will file a motion for reconsideration (MR) with the court to reverse the ruling.
“Umaasa tayo na sa ating MR, makikita ng Korte ang posisyon namin na hindi kailanman magiging katanggap-tanggap o maaaring pagkatiwalaan ang testimonya ng mga convicted criminals, lalo pa kung may galit sila sa akusado na kanilang pinararatangan (We are hoping that in our MR, the court will see our position that it can never be acceptable at all or can be trusted the testimonies of convicted criminals, especially that they are angry with the accused),” he said.
Two of the three cases filed by the DOJ were already dismissed by Muntinlupa courts. Case 17-166 was dismissed in February 2021 when a Muntinlupa court granted De Lima’s demurrer to evidence.
Last May 12, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 dismissed case 17-165. The two cases were also for conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.
“Tuloy ang laban natin para sa Hustisya at Kalayaan ni Senator De Lima na mahigit anim na taon na pong nakakulong at nawalay sa kanyang pamilya at mga mahal sa buhay (Our fight will go on for justice and freedom of Senator De Lima, who has been detained for more than six years and has been away from her family and loved ones),” added Tacardon.
De Lima has been detained since February 2017.