DOJ won’t drop raps vs De Lima

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday rejected the call of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros to withdraw the remaining drug charges filed against former senator Leila de Lima.

In a statement, the office of Remulla said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is leaving it to the Muntinlupa City regional trial courts (RTCs), where the cases against De Lima are still pending, to make its decision.

“Reacting to the Resolution filed by Senators ‘Koko’ Pimentel III and Risa Hontiveros, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla declared that the matter is already within the jurisdiction of the Muntinlupa Trial Court, which has the sole power and authority to act on the pending case against former senator De Lima,” said Jose Dominic Clavano, from the Office of the DOJ Secretary.

“Based on records, (Rafael) Ragos has not been presented by the defense as a witness before the Muntinlupa court. Hence, the department will rely on the sound discretion of the court on the appreciation of this alleged evidence,” Clavano added.

On Feb. 17, 2021, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 dismissed De Lima’s drug case with co-accused Jose Adrian Dera – one of the three drug charges filed against her. The other two cases are pending before Muntinlupa RTCs Branch 204 and Branch 256.

In an earlier interview before becoming justice secretary, Remulla had said that he was willing to look into the drug cases against De Lima, citing that the reports of prosecution witnesses withdrawing their testimonies against the former senator was already a “red flag,” an indication that something was wrong.

Joint resolution

In a joint resolution, Pimentel and Hontiveros urged the DOJ to withdraw immediately the remaining charges against De Lima, who has been detained since February 2017 on drug-related charges.

“The DOJ, under its current leadership, should seriously consider these retractions and immediately withdraw all pending drug charges against De Lima and move for her release from detention, thereby redeeming itself to the Filipino people and proving that its institutional integrity remains intact by standing up for truth, justice and the rule of law,” the senators’ resolution read.

“Every day that justice is not served amounts to a mockery of the whole justice system. It is thus incumbent upon the Senate to call on its co-equal branches of the government to be true to their mandates of ensuring that justice is served without passion or prejudice, and always with fairness,” the resolution added.

Earlier this year, several witnesses recanted their testimonies against De Lima. In April, self-confessed drug-trader Kerwin Espinosa retracted his allegations that connected De Lima to the business of illegal drugs inside the national penitentiary.

In May, former Bureau of Corrections OIC Rafael Ragos recanted his statements, alleging that then justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had “coerced” him into testifying against her.

Also in May, witness Ronnie Dayan, a former aide of De Lima, recanted and denied the allegations that he received and delivered drug money to De Lima when she was still justice secretary. – Evelyn Macairan