Court cancels hearing on De Lima’s drug charges anew

The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 on Monday canceled anew the hearing on the drug charges against detained Senator Leila de Lima.

De Lima’s lawyer, Boni Tacardon, said the hearing did not push through because the lawyers of Ronnie Dayan and Joenel Sanchez were absent.

Dayan and Sanchez are the former driver-bodyguard and aide of the senator, respectively.

This was the second time the court has canceled the hearing on the senator’s case.

READ: With no prosecution witness, judge calls off De Lima hearing

“So considering that it’s a non-bailable offense, the court deemed it wise to cancel the hearing to uphold proper representation for the accused,” Tagardon said.

“Although in the case of Senator De Lima, kumpleto kami (we are complete). Kay General Bucayu nabigyan naman ng lawyer (General Bucayu was given a laywer), it’s just that the two other accused were not properly represented and there’s no public attorney present,” he added, referring to former Bureau of Corrections  director Franklin Bucayu who blamed De Lima for sidelining the police raid in December 2014 dubbed “Oplan Cronus.”

READ: Bucayu pins blame on De Lima for aborted ‘Oplan Cronus’

The Muntinlupa court also denied De Lima’s bid to disqualify 13 convicts as state witnesses in the case against her.

De Lima, who is a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, has been detained since February 2017 for alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade. /ee