Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the case of former Senator Leila de Lima is in the Muntinlupa court after the resolution of Senators Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros sought the dropping of charges with the recent recantations of key witnesses.
In a joint resolution, Senators Koko Pimentel III and Risa Hontiveros urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to immediately withdraw the remaining charges against former Senator Leila De Lima, who has been detained since February 2017 on drug-related charges.
The senators’ resolution reads:
“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,”
“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 was filed in light of several witnesses' recent withdrawal of testimonies against De Lima. In April, confessed drug-trader Kerwin Espinosa retracted his allegations that connected De Lima to the business of illegal drugs inside the national prison.
Last May, former Bureau of Corrections OIC Rafael Ragos also recanted his statements, saying that then justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had “coerced” him into testifying against the former senator. Additionally, witness Ronnie Dayan, a former aide of De Lima, recanted and denied the allegations he received and delivered drug money to De Lima when she was still justice secretary.
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 De Lima. Based on records, Rafael Ragos, a defense witness has not been presented before the Muntinlupa Court. Hence, the DOJ will rely on the sound discretion of the Court in the appreciation of the alleged evidence.
Tags: #DOJ, #DeLima, #drugcharges