Detained Senator Leila de Lima was finally arraigned yesterday in one of the three drug cases filed against her by the Department of Justice (DoJ) but refused to enter her plea.
Guarded by the police, De Lima attended the hearing at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 where she is facing charges of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading during her time as justice secretary.
Her arraignment proceeded after Judge Lorna Navarro-Domingo denied her camp’s motion for reconsideration and motion to dismiss the case against her.
She and co-accused former Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Jesus Bucayu, Ronnie Dayan, and Joenel Sanchez were asked to stand before Judge Navarro-Domingo for their arraignment.
“I refuse to enter any plea. I don’t recognize the validity of the charges against me,” De Lima told the judge.
The judge in turn entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.
The other three accused pleaded not guilty and filed petitions for bail.
The senator did not file a petition for bail as she doesn’t recognize the case against her.
The senator, Dayan, Sanchez, Bucayu, Wilfredo Elli, prisoner Jaybee Nino Sebastian and Jose Adrian Dera were accused of conspiring to commit illegal drug trading using prisoners at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa and getting R70 million.
Elli and Dera are still at large.
De Lima’s arraignment came one year and five months after the DoJ filed three cases against her in February 2017 for illegal drug trading in violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165.
However, the DoJ changed the charges from illegal drug trading to conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading which the court allowed.
Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo Jr. welcomed the arraignment of De Lima.
“Yung pinakahihintay natin ay dumating na. It’s a one big step on behalf of the Filipino people who are the victims in this case,” he said.
Boni Tacardon, one of De Lima’s lawyers, lamented the court’s decision, especially their motion to dismiss which they only filed yesterday morning but jungked by Judge Lorna Navarro-Domingo outright.
“I don’t know if the judge was able to read our motion to dismiss. I have reason to believe that she didn’t read it because she was surprised when we said we had a motion to dismiss. And yet after a few discussions, she denied it and arraigned Senator De Lima,” he said. (Jonathan Hicap)
