De Lima acquitted in last drug case

LEILA DE LIMA COMPOSITE IMAGE BY DANIELLA MARIE AGACER FROM INQUIRER AND AFP PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court has acquitted Leila de Lima in the last drug-related case filed against her by the Duterte administration.

Last March, her camp filed the demurrer to evidence to dismiss the third and last case against her.

Under the Rules on Criminal Procedure, a demurrer to evidence is a motion to dismiss due to insufficiency of evidence. A defendant cites that the evidence produced by the prosecution is insufficient to make out a case, whether true or not.  Once granted, the case will be dismissed, and it is tantamount to an acquittal.

The former senator’s counsel, Boni Tacardon, said the Muntinlupa court has granted their demurrer to evidence, making her free from all the drug cases filed against her.

READ: De Lima acquittal in last drug case gets cheers here and abroad

In her 52-page demurrer, de Lima told the court that the prosecution failed to present evidence to prove her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

In November 2023, the same court allowed de Lima and her co-accused former Bureau of Corrections chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu, her former aide Ronnie Dayan, her former security aide Joenel Sanchez, and Jad Dera to post bail for the prosecution’s failure to establish a conspiracy to do illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

On de Lima’s two other cases, one was also dismissed through demurrer to evidence in February 2021 and the other due to the lack of merit of the prosecution’s case in May 2023.

READ: Why did court grant bail for De Lima and others?

De Lima said she was very relieved.

“I feel immense relief and joy right now. I can now rest easier and sleep more soundly,” she said in Filipino.

“With the grant of our demurrer to evidence, which is tantamount to acquittal, that means I am now completely free and vindicated. It’s very liberating,” she added.