MANILA – The Supreme Court ruled with finality that Sen. Leila de Lima must stay incarcerated, affirming an earlier decision that her arrest for illegal drug trade charges was valid.
In a ruling released late Wednesday, the high court denied the motion for reconsideration filed by de Lima after finding no new arguments.
“The basic issues raised therein have been passed upon by this Court and no substantial arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned decision,” read part of the ruling. “No further pleadings or motions will be entertained.”
De Lima, in her motion for reconsideration, stated that the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court does not have jurisdiction over her case, which should have been filed at the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Supreme Court, in an Oct. 10, 2017 decision, dismissed de Lima’s previous motion due to lack of merit, saying the Department of Justice has the authority to file the illegal drug charges against her before the Muntinlupa City RTC.
Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 204 Judge Juanita Guerrero issued a warrant of arrest for drug charges against De Lima, former driver Ronnie Dayan and former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos on Feb. 23, 2017.
Guerrero inhibited herself from the case late last year after de Lima asked that the judge drop the case for her “unseemly and undue haste” in ensuring her arrest and detention.
In June 2017 Muntinlupa City RTC Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz also ordered the arrest of de Lima and Jose Adrian Dera based on testimonies from New Bilibid Prison high-profile inmate Peter Co.
De Lima still has a pending case before Muntinlupa RTC Branch 206, under Judge Patria Manalastas-De Leon, where she is co-respondents with former BuCor chief Franklin Bucayu.
De Lima has been accused of tolerating and benefitting from the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary when she was still Justice secretary. She repeatedly denied the allegations./PN
