THE Court of Appeals has voided the acquittal of former senator Leila de Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan in a drug trafficking case, ordering a new trial and ruling that the lower court committed “grave abuse of discretion.”
In a decision dated May 15, the appellate court found that the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 failed to provide sufficient legal and factual grounds when it cleared De Lima and Dayan of involvement in illegal drug operations at the New Bilibid Prison.
The ruling effectively reopens a case that has spanned nearly a decade and is closely tied to allegations against De Lima during her tenure as Justice secretary under the Aquino administration.
The Court of Appeals said the RTC based its 2023 ruling primarily on the recantation of former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos, who had earlier testified that he delivered drug money to De Lima. Ragos later claimed he was coerced into making the statement.
However, the appellate court held that the trial judge failed to assess whether Ragos’ retraction was credible or how it impacted the rest of the evidence. It said the RTC also did not explain how the other elements of the drug charges were supposedly not established.
“The lower court’s ruling lacked legal basis and failed to consider the totality of the prosecution’s evidence,” the decision read.
It also rejected the argument that reviving the case would violate De Lima’s constitutional protection against double jeopardy. The justices ruled that the invalidity of the original acquittal removes such a barrier.
De Lima, a staunch critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte, spent nearly six years in detention before being granted bail in 2023. She has repeatedly denied the charges, which she said were politically motivated.
