The Department of Justice is leaving it up to the Muntinlupa City regional trial court to decide on the illegal drugs charges filed against detained former Senator and former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.
“It’s up to the courts,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said, commenting on the dismissal by the Office of the Ombudsman of the direct and indirect bribery complaints filed against De Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan.
The anti-graft body dismissed the complaints against De Lima and Dayan on alleged attempt to extort P8 million from self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa in exchange for his protection.
The Ombudsman cited the “glaring inconsistencies” in the testimonies of Kerwin and government witness Marcelo Adorco. The testimonies prevented the conclusion that De Lima and Dayan are probably guilty of the offenses charged against them, the anti-graft body stressed.
“After a painstaking review of the records, it appears that there is no probable cause to indict the respondents (De Lima and Dayan) of the charges against them,” the Ombudsman said, in its resolution.
“The inconsistencies in the testimonies of the complaint’s witnesses cannot be brushed as trivial or inconsequential.
The incongruities pertain to material details that cast doubt on the veracity of the accusation that De Lima, throughDayan, had collected bribe money from Kerwin,” it added.
The Ombudsman pointed out that the testimonies the complainant had presented failed to provide a clear, accurate and consistent narration of facts “crucial in determining whether the elements of Direct Bribery and Indirect Bribery exist.”
On the dismissal of De Lima’s criminal cases, Remulla revealed that a number of individuals and groups have already approached him seeking the DOJ’s withdrawal of the drug charges.
“There are many already, diplomats mostly. I just had to explain the situation to them,” he stressed.
DOJ spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano emphasized that the trial of the drug charges is ongoing. ”We have already presented our evidence,” he said. “It is former Senator De Lima’s turn to present hers,” he said.
De Lima has been detained at the Custodial Center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City since 2017.
She is facing drug charges under Criminal Case Nos. 17-165 and 17-167 on her alleged involvement in the proliferation of the illegal drugs trading at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City when she was secretary of justice.