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[av_heading heading=’Drug cases vs de Lima raffled off to three Muntinlupa judges’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Tuesday, February 21, 2017
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MANILA – The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Monday raffled off the three drug-related cases against Sen. Leila De Lima that were filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week.
Following the raffle, the complaints against de Lima were assigned to Muntinlupa RTC judges Juanita Guerrero of branch 204, Amelia Fabros-Corpuz of branch 205 and Patria Manalastas-de Leon of branch 206.
Guerrero, who is on leave, is well-known for dismissing two of the three members of the “Alabang Boys” drug group due to a technicality in the evidence presented by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Guerrero and de Lima have had a clash in opinion before, when the former ruled for the release of Rolito Go but was blocked by the then DOJ secretary since only the President has the right to grant pardon to inmates.
Fabros-Corpuz, meanwhile, has previously handled the case of slain actress Nida Blanca and businessman Dante Tan in connection with the 1999 BW stock manipulation scam.
The DOJ on Friday afternoon filed before the Muntinlupa City RTC three separate cases against de Lima and others in relation to the alleged proliferation of illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.
The respondents were charged with violation of Section 5 (sale and trading of illegal drugs) in relation to Section 26 (b) and Section 28 (criminal liability of government officials and employees) under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
The case filed against De Lima and her cohorts is the result of the preliminary investigation conducted by a five-man DOJ panel on complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, former NBI deputy directors Reynaldo smeralda and Ruel Lasala and inmate Jaybee Sebastian.
De Lima has been accused of tolerating and benefitting from the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary when she was still the Justice secretary. She allegedly received kickbacks from drug lords detained at the NBP./PN
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