Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) has denied the prosecution’s motion seeking to reverse the second acquittal of detained former Senator Leila de Lima, who has been slapped with a total of three drug cases.
The Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 rejected the prosecution’s motion for reconsideration on July 6, but a copy of the order was released to the media only on Friday, July 28.
The court said the appeal against De Lima’s May 2023 acquittal lacked merit.
“Every acquittal becomes final immediately upon promulgation and cannot be recalled for correction or amendment,” read the decision, penned by presiding judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara.
“With the acquittal being immediately final, granting the State’s motion for reconsideration in this case would violate the Constitutional prohibition against jeopardy because it would effectively reopen the prosecution and subject the accused to a second jeopardy despite their acquittal,” it added.
De Lima was also cleared in one of her drug cases in February 2021. This means only one case remains pending, with the next hearing set on Aug. 1, to be presided over by the new judge, Gener Gito.
