Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 7) — State prosecutors filed a motion for a Muntinlupa judge to inhibit from the last drug case of former senator Leila de Lima to have a new perspective on the evidence presented by parties involved, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
On Thursday, Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara, who was also the judge who acquitted the former lawmaker from her second drug case in May, inhibited himself from the remaining drug case upon the request of state prosecutors.
“It is good for the justice system as the case will now be decided by the judge who had nothing to do with the related cases and can rely on his or her new perspective of the evidence presented by both parties,” DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Friday.
“I think that’s exactly what the prosecutors wanted — to have a new judge, have a new perspective on the evidence presented,” he added.
Prior to this development, the remaining drug case of De Lima was raffled to Alcantara on June 30 following the inhibition of Judge Romeo Buenaventura after three co-accused individuals questioned the latter’s impartiality.
Alcantara said he decided to grant the prosecution’s request \”to put to rest any questions against his credibility, integrity, and fairness.\”
Clavano emphasized that the panel of prosecutors did not ask for clearance from DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to file its motion.
“The respect that we afford the panel of prosecutors includes the discretion to pursue the case and hopefully get a fair judgment,\” he said. \”So, in their opinion and in their best judgment, they deemed it necessary to file this motion for inhibition so that…we keep the impartiality and the neutrality of the judge.\”
Remulla also said on Thursday that he cannot interfere with how the prosecutors are handling the case.
Clavano also said the inhibition will not cause any delay in the hearing of the case since the new judge will only have to start where Alcantara left off, thus a resolution will soon be released.
In June, De Lima filed a bail plea for her remaining drug case, which was rejected. Her camp then filed a motion for reconsideration.
