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[av_heading heading=’Remove RTC judge from drug case – de Lima ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Sunday, November 19, 2017
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MANILA – Sen. Leila de Lima asked the Supreme Court to let Judge Juanita Guerrero inhibit from the illegal drug case against her.
De Lima raised doubts on Guerrero’s impartiality and independence.
Guerrero of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 issued on Feb. 23 an arrest warrant against de Lima for the drug charges filed by the Justice department.
The judge acted with “unseemly and undue haste,” according to de Lima.
“The glaringly clear, single-minded over-eagerness to detain accused de Lima based on an invalid information that is irredeemably and irreparably tainted and made defective by, among others, the rampant and blatant violation of accused de Lima’s rights, is quite evident,” read part of the senator’s 23-page motion for inhibition and to defer arraignment.
De Lima also asked the Supreme Court to defer her arraignment pending the resolution of her motion for reconsideration also filed at the tribunal.
“It is incumbent upon this court to hold in abeyance the scheduled arraignment,” read part of the motion.
“Otherwise, such an act would be tantamount to this court preempting the Supreme Court and arrogating unto herself the authority to have a final say on the jurisprudential effect of the Supreme Court’s decision,” it added.
Proceeding with the arraignment would be a “gross violation of her (de Lima) constitutional right to be accorded due process of the law and to be informed of the nature of the charge against her.”
Her arraignment, initially scheduled on Nov. 16 at the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204, was moved to Jan. 24, 2018./PN
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