DOJ SEEKS REVERSAL OF DE LIMA'S ACQUITTAL

DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) prosecutors have filed a motion for the reversal of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court's decision to acquit former senator Leila de Lima and her former bodyguard Ronnie Dayan of drug charges filed during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The members of the DoJ prosecution panel that filed the appeal were Deputy Prosecutor Leilia Llanes, Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Bienvenido Ocampo Jr. and City Prosecutors Blas Antonio Tuliao and Laurence Josel Taliping.

In its May 12 decision to acquit de Lima, RTC-Branch 204 said the verdict was based on the retraction of former Bureau of Corrections officer in charge Rafael Ragos of his testimonies implicating the former senator in illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) during her tenure as justice secretary.

The DoJ prosecutors argued that Ragos' recantation did not invalidate his original testimony implicating de Lima.

"Jurisprudence dictates and the circumstances of the instant case reveal that the subsequent recantation of witness Ragos was not able to vitiate his original testimony given in open court, and there are other pieces of evidence on record to prove all the elements of the crime charged, including the role played by both accused in the illegal drug trading inside the NBP," the motion read.

A vocal critic of Duterte, de Lima has been in detention for over six years.

2023-06-01T16:46:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd