Senator Leila de Lima leaves the Muntinlupa regional trial court after attending the hearing for her drug charges.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The illegal drugs case against Senator Leila De Lima has been raffled off to a new judge.
De Lima’s case has been assigned to Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 203 Judge Myra Bayot-Quiambao.
The senator’s case was re-raffled after Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 54 Judge Juanita Guerrero inhibited herself from the case.
Guerrero, in inhibiting, granted De Lima’s motion who cited obvious partiality and questionable independence.
“The court is fully aware that a mere imputation of bias or partiality without any proof or evidence is not a ground for a judge to inhibit in further proceeding with a case,” Guerrero said
However, she said “in order not to cast doubt on the integrity and impartiality of the Presiding Judge and to disabuse the mind of the accused and her counsel who have expressed serious doubts on her objectivity in resolving this case due to the adverse orders issued against her, the court, acting on its sound discretion, voluntarily inhibits herself from further hearing the case.”
Bayot-Quiambao was a subject of nationwide fasting by political prisoners in 2014 following her decision convicting peace consultant Eduardo Sarmiento of illegal possession of explosives in 2014. /je