Former Senator Leila de Lima has been acquitted of her last remaining drug charge after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 granted her motion for demurrer to evidence on Monday. This decision was confirmed by her lawyer, Boni Tacardon, later that afternoon.
A demurrer argues that the prosecution’s evidence is insufficient for a conviction. By granting this motion, the court effectively dismissed all charges against de Lima.
De Lima expressed her relief and sense of justice following the court’s decision. “The grant of our demurrer to evidence means now I am completely free and vindicated,” she said in an ambush interview.
Prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo mentioned that the prosecution is considering whether to file a motion for reconsideration or pursue other legal remedies. “It is still premature on our part, we have yet to read the decision, but it is still to be discussed,” he said, while also expressing happiness for de Lima, noting that she was their former boss.
The Department of Justice has yet to comment on the dismissal of de Lima’s case.
De Lima has been in detention since February 2017 over allegations of involvement in the illegal drug trade at New Bilibid Prison. She was granted temporary liberty in November last year after the Muntinlupa RTC allowed her to post bail.
In October 2023, witnesses Rodolfo Magleo and Nonilo Arile, who had accused de Lima of drug trade involvement, withdrew their testimonies, citing a troubled conscience.
Previously, de Lima had been acquitted of two other drug charges filed during the Duterte administration. The first case was dismissed by Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 in 2021, and the second was cleared by Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204, which also acquitted her aide, Ronnie Dayan.
De Lima, a former Justice Secretary and a critic of Duterte’s drug war, now serves as the spokesperson for the Liberal Party.
