Calida, Hilbay to face off at oral argument on De Lima’s plea

It will be a face-off between Solicitor General and former Solicitor General in Tuesday’s oral argument on the petition of Senator Leila de Lima to nullify the arrest order issued by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 against her.

Lawyer Florin Hilbay confirmed on Twitter on Monday that he will be arguing for the embattled senator who was detained last month at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City over drug charges.

Hilbay served as the government’s top lawyer from 2014 to 2016 when De Lima was Justice Secretary. The Office of the Solicitor General, which Hilbay previously headed, is an attached agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

He was one of the Philippine delegates who argued the country’s case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

An author and a professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law, Hilbay topped the 1999 Bar examination.

Hilbay will be arguing against Solicitor General Jose Calida, a former justice undersecretary during the Arroyo administration.

Calida was a former Executive Director of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Calida flaunted his Bar examination score on Criminal Law after De Lima said he has an “empty skull.”

Some of the issues that will be discussed in the oral argument on Tuesday are:

-whether De Lima is excused from compliance with doctrine of hierarchy of courts considering that her petition be first filed with the Court of Appeals,

-whether the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 Judge Juanita Guerrero committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing the arrest warrant against her, and

-whether the regional trial court has jurisdiction over her case and whether she is entitled to a restraining order or not./rga