Senator Leila De Lima inside QC MeTC Branch 34 for her arraignment on disobedience to summon case. TETCH TORRES-TUPAS/INQUIRER.net
Senator Leila de Lima on Monday refused to enter a plea before the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court on allegations of ignoring summons from Congress and stopping her former driver/boyfriend Ronnie Dayan from attending the House inquiry on the proliferation of illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Quezon City MeTC Branch 34 Judge Ma. Ludmila D. Pio-Lim entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the senator.
De Lima is facing a case for violation of Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code for disobedience to summons issued by the national assembly, its committee or subcommittees.
Complainants are Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and House Committee on Justice Chairman Reynaldo Umali.
READ: House leaders file criminal complaint vs De Lima for summons snub
De Lima’s arraignment pushed through after the court denied her motion for reconsideration on the finding of probable cause for being filed out of time.
The court then proceeded with the preliminary conference where De Lima’s camp refused to stipulate on the copy of the senator’s supposed text message to Hanna Mae, daughter of Dayan because it was not authenticated.
READ: Ex-De Lima lover, Ronnie Dayan, charged for disobedience
De Lima allegedly texted Dayan’s daughter to tell her father not to attend the congressional inquiry on the proliferation of illegal drugs inside Bilibid.
The prosecution has submitted an amended information on the case to change its wordings from “advising” Dayan not to attend the hearing to “instructing” Dayan in the amended complaint.
Among the evidence provisionally marked by the prosecution include the House of Representative’s subpoena, show cause order, order of contempt and the photocopy of De Lima’s supposed text message to Dayan’s daughter.
Aside from the complainant lawmakers, the prosecution said they will present six more witnesses.
On the other hand, De Lima’s camp has marked as evidence the House of Representative’s subpoena, counter affidavit and transcript of stenographic notes of the congressional hearing. They have no other witness except De Lima.
Hearing is set for April 26. The court required De Lima to appear in every hearing. RAM/rga