MANILA – Judge Liezel Aquiatan of Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 205, granted Sen. Leila de Lima’s demurrer to evidence pleading in one of her drug cases, involving co-accused Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera, on Wednesday afternoon.
De Lima, through her legal counsels, filed her demurrer to evidence – a pleading by an accused which seeks the dismissal or junking of a case because of weak prosecution evidence and without the defense presenting its own – for Criminal Case 17-166 on Jan. 7.
The pleading said the prosecution failed to convict her guilty beyond reasonable doubt, despite presenting 21 witnesses and documentary evidence in the case.
“None of the prosecution witnesses admitted having personal knowledge of, much less personal involvement in, the alleged illegal drug trade,” de Lima said in her petition. The senator firmly believes that the alleged conspiracy of committing drug trade remains a speculation.
De Lima was originally charged with illegal drug trading or sale of illegal drugs but the prosecution amended the information, substantially changing the charge into an alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading.
The senator was alleged that she conspired with Dera, in such a way that Dera demanded money and vehicles from the convicted drug lord Peter Co for her senatorial bid in the May 2016 election. Proceeds of Co’s illegal drug trade, which accounts to three million pesos and four vehicles, were sent to the senator through Dera.
Aside from this case, de Lima’s plea to junk her second drug case involving her former aide, Ronnie Dayan was denied along with her bail petition.
De Lima has been detained for almost four years due to allegations that she conspired with corrections officials and inmates to conduct illegal drug trade during her time as the secretary of the Department of Justice.
The senator, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, has repeatedly denied the charges claiming that these charges were politically motivated./PN
