THE Department of Justice (DOJ) reiterated on Wednesday that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Muntinlupa would have the last say on the fate of former senator Leila de Lima who is undergoing trial for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa during her term as justice secretary.
“It’s up to the courts,” Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla when asked to comment on the recent decision of the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing the bribery complaints filed against de Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan in connection with the NBP drug trade.
Remulla admitted that a lot of individuals, mostly diplomats and groups, have approached him asking for de Lima’s release but he told them about the ongoing court proceedings against her.
“There were a lot of individuals, diplomats mostly [who approached me]. I just had to explain the situation to them,” Remulla said.
DOJ spokesman, lawyer Mico Clavano, also stressed that the DOJ’s position on de Lima’s case will not change despite the Ombudsman’s ruling.
“DOJ’s statement remains the same. We will leave it to the sound discretion of the Muntinlupa court to decide on the case. We have already presented our evidence. It is former Senator de Lima’s turn to present hers,” said Clavano.
The bribery complaints dismissed by the Ombudsman stemmed from the complaint lodged by its special team of investigators on October 8, 2018 based on the testimonies of self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, Ram-Jhon Michael Espinosa and Marcelo Adorco, claiming that de Lima received bribe money amounting to P8 million from the illegal drug trade operations inside the NBP to finance her senatorial bid.
However, Espinosa and Adorco have executed separate affidavits recanting their statements linking de Lima in the NBP drug trade.
They claimed that they were harassed, threatened and intimidated into signing an affidavit implicating the senator in the illegal drug trade.
De Lima is facing two criminal cases before the Muntinlupa RTC for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the NBP in Muntinlupa during her term as justice secretary.
Image credits: AP