/ AFP Photo / Noel Celis
(Eagle News) – Another regional trial court judge of Muntinlupa inhibited herself from the drug case involving Senator Leila De Lima, becoming the fourth judge to recuse herself from the senator’s controversial drug cases.
Judge Lorna Navarro Domingo, acting presiding judge of Muntinlupa RTC branch 206, signed an order on Monday, Nov. 5, saying that she found “no sufficient ground to inhibit herself” from the trial as requested by De Lima, but that she decided just the same to recuse herself “to show good faith to all parties.”
She said that it is within her “discretionary power” to do so.
The issue arose out of De Lima’s perception that the judge was biased against her motion to disqualify some of the prosecution’s witnesses. The senator also resented that the judge had prevented media from covering the court hearings, and said that this “violated her right to an open and public trial.”
De Lima filed the motion for Judge Domingo to inhibit on October 15.
“The Court finds no sufficient ground to inhibit herself from conducting trial, however, in order to show good faith to all parties concern(ed) and being within the discretionary power of this Court, the undersigned presiding judge recused herself from trying this case,” Judge Domingo’s order read.
De Lima claimed that Domingo had already “prematurely ruled” on her motion to disqualify prosecution witnesses, particularly 13 convicts currently serving a sentence of reclusion perpetua.
The senator’s reply to the Prosecution comment had not been accepted by the court for being filed late.
In her order released on Tuesday, Nov. 6, Domingo explained that despite a one-day extension given to De Lima, her camp filed her reply beyond office hours which is not allowed under a circular of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA).
The last day of filing for the senator’s reply fell on a Sunday, so she was given until Monday office hours to submit her reply.
“Despite the following day extension, accused filed their Reply at 4:35 in the afternoon. It was filed out of time. OCA Circular 250-2015 is very clear in the strict observance of the Office Hours which was alleged in the Order dated September 24, 2018,” the Court’s order dated Nov. 5 said.
As to the Court’s decision not to allow media men inside the court room during hearings, the judge said that this was to avoid distraction and in observance of the rule on sub-judice.
“Only media men were not allowed inside the court room to cover the proceedings since it would distract the parties as well (as the) lawyers inside. The Court observe(s the) sub judice rule,” Judge Domingo’s order read.
“There were foreigners inside the court room observing the proceedings, when accused Senator de Lima and other accused were arraigned, and they were not excluded by the Court,” she pointed out.
Three other judges had inhibited themselves from De Lima’s drug cases, namely Judges Juanita Guerrero, Myra Quiambao and Antonietta Medina.
Judge Patria Manalastas-De Leon who was the previous presiding judge of Muntinlupa RTC branch 206, on the other hand, opted to retire early in February this year.
(Eagle News Service)
