THE Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa City has denied the motion for reconsideration filed by government prosecutors seeking the reversal of its decision junking the last drug-related case filed against former senator Leila de Lima in connection with the illegal drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City during her term as justice secretary.
In a four-page resolution, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206 Presiding Judge Gener Gito said the grant of the demurrer to evidence filed by De Lima is tantamount to acquittal, thus, cannot be subject of an appeal “as it will place the accused to double jeopardy.”
The trial court also pointed out that the prosecution’s MR, did not impute grave abuse of discretion on the part of the court .
“Having failed to cite any instance of grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Court, which is the only thoroughfare to vacating a judgment of acquittal, there is therefore no reason for this Court to reconsider its Order dated July 19, 2024,” the trial court declared.
In the said ruling, the trial court also granted the demurrer to evidence filed by de Lima’s co-accused namely Ronnie Dayan, her former security aide, former Bureau of Corrections chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu, Joenel Sanchez, and a certain Jose Adrian Dera.
Judge Gito held that the prosecution “was not able to prove the guilt of all the accused beyond reasonable doubt” based on the totality of the evidence they presented.
De lima had won two other drug cases filed against her before two other branches of the Muntinlupa RTC alleging that she benefited from the illegal drug activities inside the NBP.
The former senator has accused former President Rodrigo Duterte of masterminding the filing of fabricated drug charges to silence her opposition to Duterte’s bloody anti-illegal drug war campaign.
Image credits: AP
