Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Monday raffled off criminal cases the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed against Senator Leila De Lima.
Three separate courts will handle the three separate drug cases. Each court has the power to issue an arrest warrant against De Lima.
Muntinlupa RTC branch 204 under Judge Juanita Guerrero, the executive judge of the Muntinlupa RTC, will handle criminal case 165; Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz of branch 205 will handle criminal case 166; and branch 206 under Judge Patria Manalastas-De Leon will handle criminal case 167.
According to the Clerk of Court, it has to be one of the parties involved in the cases that should file a motion for consolidation of the three cases — which shall be reviewed by the raffle committee.
De Lima’s camp, through a representative, immediately filed motions to dismiss charges at the Muntinlupa RTC.
Also read: CA turns down De Lima’s bid to stop drug probe
VACC challenges De Lima: Face the charges
In an interview with CNN Philippines, anti-crime group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman Dante Jimenez urged De Lima to “face the charges” in court.
The VACC is one of the three parties that filed a case against De Lima.
“After attending a series of hearings at the House of Representatives with the Committee on Justice, we felt that all of these testimonies of convicts, testimonies of her former lover and driver-bodyguard… deputy director dati ng NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) si (Rafael) Ragos, we felt that all of these (are) insurmountable,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez said the convicts from the New Bilibid Prison who testified against De Lima in the House of Representatives last October were not coerced.
The convicts said De Lima had a hand in the proliferation of drugs and the illegal drug trade when she was Justice Secretary from 2010 to 2015.
Also read: Revisiting the House probe on the Bilibid drug trade
He belied De Lima’s claims that she was being politically persecuted.
Jimenez said the VACC seriously fights proliferation of illegal drugs since eighty percent of the victims in the cases the VACC handles are drug-related.
“How can it be political persecution? When, lahat naman po ay binigyan ng pagkakataon [everyone has been given the chance] to answer the charges,” Jimenez said. “Defense nalang nila ‘yan, [It’s just their defense].”
Chief Presidential legal counsel Salvador “Sal” Panelo, meanwhile, said in a statement, De Lima waived her right to be heard when she refused to submit counter-affidavit when the DOJ was investigating her.
Considering the circumstance, Panelo said De Lima has no right to complain that DOJ did not get her side.
Panelo added, De Lima is in a “state of confusion” and that the senator cannot think straight.
CNN Philippines’ AC Nicholls and Ina Andolong contributed to this report.
