Court sets hearing for De Lima’s petition

MANILA, Philippines - The Muntinlupa regional Trial Court has set for tomorrow the hearing on the petition of Sen. Leila de Lima questioning the jurisdiction of the RTC over the drug cases filed against her.

Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206 Judge Patria Manalastas de Leon has set the hearing on one of the three drug cases filed against De Lima.

Prosecutors alleged De Lima, while she was justice secretary under former president Benigno Aquino III, received bribes from detained drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to finance her senatorial campaign.

Apart from Branch 206, the charges were filed in Branch 204 under Judge Juanita Guerrero and Branch 205 under Judge Amelita Fabros-Corpuz.

Judge Guerrero issued the warrant of arrest on Feb. 23 to acquire jurisdiction over De Lima, while Judge Corpuz has set a hearing on March 10 on the similar motion of De Lima’s lawyers questioning the jurisdiction of the courts over the case.

Under De Leon, the respondents include De Lima, former Bureau of Corrections acting chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu and his former staff Wilfredo Elli, inmate Jaybee Sebastian, former bodyguard and driver Ronnie Dayan, former security aide Joenel Sanchez and De Lima’s nephew Jad de Vera.

Another case is pending before the sala of Judge Fabros-Corpuz where De Lima and De Vera are respondents.

Judges De Leon and Fabros-Corpuz have yet to issue arrest warrant against De Lima and the other accused.

De Lima, on the other hand, has filed a petition before the Supreme Court questioning the arrest warrant issued by Guerrero and a prayer for a temporary restraining order (TRO).

The Supreme Court did not grant De Lima the TRO but gave the lower court and the Philippine National Police (PNP) 10 days to comment on the petition.

De Lima has denied the charges, which she said were part of an attempt by President Duterte to muzzle critics of his crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left more than 7,000 people dead.

De Lima has a long-standing rift with Duterte, whom she accused of leading a vigilante group that carried out summary killings in Davao City when he was mayor.

Duterte in turn accused De Lima of being a narco-politician who used the illegal drug trade to finance her way to a Senate seat.

De Lima questioned why the court suddenly issued the arrest order when it was supposedly scheduled to hear her petition to void the three non-bailable charges.