THE Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court started on Friday hearing one of the three cases filed against jailed Senator Leila de Lima, primarily her motions to dismiss one of the three drug-related charges against her.
But Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz of Branch 205 did not tackle the merits of the state charge that De Lima and seven others that they were involved in narcotics trafficking with inmates of the National Bilibid Prison when De Lima was justice secretary, docketed as Criminal Case No. 17-166.
Instead, the judge had to address De Lima’s motion to quash the drug case and motion for judicial determination of probable cause.
Corpuz gave De Lima and her co-accused 10 days to reply to the opposition of the Department of Justice while state prosecutors were also given 10 days to submit a reply if necessary. The judge scheduled the next hearing on April 21 at 9 a.m.
De Lima and her co-respondents were also given 10 days to comment on the March 3 motion filed by the DOJ asking the court to consolidate all three cases filed against them under one branch. Aside from Criminal Case No. 17-166, the two other cases were docketed as Criminal Case Nos. 17-165 and 17-167.
De Lima’s three criminal cases were raffled off to Corpuz of Branch 206, Judge Juanita Guerrero of Branch 204 and Judge Patria Manalastas-de Leon of Branch 206.
Last week, state prosecutors submitted asked Guerrero of Branch 204 to consolidate the cases handled by Branches 205 and 206 into a single case but De Lima’s lawyers said they would oppose the move because it was Guerrero who issued the arrest warrant against the senator.
Two of the cases were filed by anti-crime group Volunteers against Crime and Corruption and former NBI officials Reynaldo O. Esmeralda and Ruel M. Lasala. The third was filed by the National Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear on March 14 De Lima’s motion to review her case and to bar Guerrero from hearing her cases.
De Lima also asked the high tribunal to order Guerrero to inhibit herself purportedly because she had prejudged it and gravely abused her discretion in issuing the arrest warrant with “undue haste and inordinate interest.”
The three cases arose from complaints brought by the National Bureau of Investigation and Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption based on testimonies during the House of Representatives’ inquiry into the alleged illegal drug trade in New Bilibid Prison during De Lima’s tenure as secretary of justice.