The Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially withdrawn its motion for reconsideration seeking to overturn the acquittal of former Senator and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist Representative Leila de Lima and her former aide, Ronie Dayan, in a drug-related case.
The withdrawal follows the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204’s recent reaffirmation of the acquittal issued in July.
In their motion, state prosecutors invoked the principle of double jeopardy, which bars the retrial of an individual for the same offense after acquittal.
The move also comes after DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla ordered the prosecutors to retract the motion, saying the continued effort to contest the ruling had become absurd in the public eye.
“I actually talked to the Prosecutor General this morning and told him to stop the foolishness of these people under us. Because they’re following a political agenda, not a legal agenda,” Remulla said in a media interview.
De Lima, who once served as DOJ Secretary under the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, expressed gratitude to the DOJ for its decision but raised concerns about the conduct of certain prosecutors.
“I thank and commend SOJ Remulla for bringing sense and order to the unethical actuations of Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Bienvenido Ocampo Jr. and his Panel,” said de Lima.
She further stated, “While it is good to hear from no less than SOJ Remulla that these prosecutors were engaging in ‘foolishness’ to forward a political agenda and that ‘they will take over the case and move for the case’s dismissal,’ and based on the latest news report, he has in fact ordered the withdrawal of the MR, the question remains as to what should be done with these prosecutors who have abused our justice system for far too long? I call on the Justice Department to properly investigate and sanction them.”
De Lima was acquitted in all three drug-related cases filed against her during the Duterte administration, all of which she has consistently maintained were politically motivated.