THE Department of Justice yesterday said it would submit a status report on the drug cases filed against former senator Leila de Lima who remains detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
Sen. Sonny Angara has asked Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to update the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights as to the status of the drug cases following the queries of some members of the diplomatic corps.
“We will submit to the good Senator Angara a status report on these cases. We will submit it as soon as possible,” DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said when sought for comment.
Remulla has earlier said several ambassadors have asked to be updated on the status De Lima’s criminal cases, which remain pending with the Muntinlupa city regional trial court.
Remulla did not identify the countries represented by the envoys.
While the Muntinlupa RTC has dismissed in 2021 one of three drug charges against De Lima, the former secretary of the justice department remained detained in Camp Crame.
On August 16, De Lima marked the 2000th day of her detention.
Clavano reiterated it is now up to the Muntinlupa RTC to decide on the drug cases.
“The prosecutors in charge have already finished their presentation of evidence and it is now former Sen. De Lima’s turn to present her evidence,” Clavano said.
Remulla previously said he is open to looking at the cases against de Lima, especially in the light of the recantation of several prosecution witnesses, led by former Bureau of Corrections OIC Rafael Ragos.
Before he stepped down from his post, then DOJ secretary Menardo Guevarra said that despite the recantation of Ragos and other prosecution witnesses, the department will not withdraw the cases.
Aside from Ragos, others who have recanted their allegations against De Lima include self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, convict Joel Capones, and Marcelo Adorco.
All the witnesses claimed they were coerced or threatened to implicate the former senator to the narcotics trade.
Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman junked the direct and indirect bribery charges slapped by the DOJ against De Lima and Dayan, saying it found inconsistencies in the testimonies of Espinosa and Adorco as to how P8 million in alleged bribe money was given to the accused and their supposed meeting with De Lima in Baguio City.