De Lima camp hopeful of release from detention

MANILA, Philippines — With two drug-related cases down and one more to go, former senator Leila de Lima might just win her release from detention in less than a month if the Muntinlupa City court hearing her last pending case grants her bail.

Buoyed by their recent legal victory, Filibon Tacardon, De Lima’s lawyer, told dzBB radio yesterday that they are banking on their bail petition before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 to be granted.

Last Friday, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted De Lima and her former aide, Ronnie Dayan, of charges of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading after the prosecution’s primary witness, former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Rafael Ragos, recanted his testimony against the former senator.

Ragos’ testimony was relevant to accusations that he and De Lima were allegedly extorting money from New Bilibid Prison inmates to fund her senatorial run in 2016.

In February 2021, De Lima was acquitted by the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 of charges of influence peddling and extortion of convicted drug lord and high-profile NBP inmate, Peter Co.

The two legal victories had De Lima celebrating and Tacardon hopeful and optimistic that in their third case, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 would rule favorably on their petition for bail which would be heard three weeks from now on June 5.

De Lima’s camp has long said that the three cases had the same narrative that she allegedly used her power as justice secretary to extort money from convicted drug dealers and tolerate their trade while inside the NBP.

De Lima, who has blamed her political nemesis former president Rodrigo Duterte for all the charges against her, called her latest acquittal as “the beginning of her vindication.”

Stressing that De Lima never wavered in claiming innocence since she was arrested in February 2017, Tacardon said: “We are leaving this to the court, with the hope that in deciding on her petition for bail, the truth and merits of the case will prevail.”

For now, De Lima remains detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Amnesty International (AI), for its part, urged authorities to quash the remaining drug-related charges against the former senator to ensure that her application for temporary liberty is processed speedily and fairly.

“The authorities must not delay her release any longer and allow her to be reunited with her family, friends and supporters after six long years,” the rights group’s  interim  deputy regional director for research, Montse Ferrer, said.

‘Flawed’

Yesterday, it was learned that Duterte believes the latest decision of the court to acquit De Lima in one of the cases should be accepted.

“The judgement of the court should be accepted. Frankly, I’m not interested in the outcome of the case as I have nothing to do with it,” Duterte was quoted as saying by his former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo. “I have never interfered with the judicial process. I always say let the law take its course.”

Panelo said the final judgement of a competent court must be accepted no matter how one disagrees with it. However, he described the court’s decision as “flawed.”

“The ruling of the court that the recantation of witness Ragos created a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused is grossly erroneous as the claim for recanting Ragos testimony that he was intimidated was never proven,” he added.

Panelo claimed the recantation was rebutted in court by his own lawyer who assisted him.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has rejected calls for state prosecutors to drop the last remaining drug case against De Lima, despite rulings in her favor in two other similar cases.

“We get numerous calls for us to withdraw our case. We should leave it to the judiciary, for the judge to handle it,” Remulla, speaking in Filipino, told dzRH radio yesterday.

The secretary bristled at the international condemnation roused by such groups as AI, which referred to the cases handled by state prosecutors as “bogus.”

Emphasizing that the cases should be left to the discretion of the judges handling them in court, Remulla said he is done hearing criticisms from members of international groups like AI.

“There are groups like Amnesty International that comment that the cases are politically motivated. We don’t need to listen to them, because they have their own agenda interfering in our country. We don’t need them here,” he said.

But on De Lima’s acquittal last Friday, Remulla was more gracious, saying: “We are glad that this is over after years of being in the public discourse.”

He added that the decision of Judge Abraham Joseph Alcaranta of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 to acquit De Lima only proved that the judiciary is independent.

De Lima’s recent acquittal was welcomed in the United States by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Senator Ed Markey, who have long called for her release.

“This acquittal of former Philippines senator Leila de Lima on what were always bogus charges is long overdue. After six years in jail, she should be released without any further delay,” said Durbin of Illinois. – Alexis Romero, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Paolo Romero, Janvic Romero

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