Leila de Lima —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
One of the two drug charges against former Sen. Leila de Lima will be resolved next month after more than six years of detention. De Lima’s legal counsel, lawyer Filibon Tacardon said that the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204 has already submitted her criminal case 17-165 for decision. “We will find out if Sen. Leila de Lima is truly innocent,” Tacardon said. The promulgation for her bail petition is expected on May 8 while her criminal case will be decided on May 12. The case involves De Lima’s alleged receipt of illegal drug money from former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos and her aide Ronnie Dayan supposedly to fund her 2016 senatorial bid. But Ragos recanted his testimony against De Lima last year, saying he was only forced to implicate De Lima by then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and other justice officials.