(Eagle News) — The three drug-related cases filed against Senator Leila de Lima have been raffled off to three separate courts at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Monday afternoon, paving the way for the possible issuance of arrest warrants against the lady senator.
The three drug cases against De Lima landed on the salas of Judge Juanita Guerrero of RTC branch 204, Judge Amelia Fabros Corpus of RTC branch 205, and Judge Patricia De Leon of RTC branch 206.
These courts will then determine if there is probable cause in the cases filed by the Department of Justice enough to issue arrest warrants for De Lima.
De Lima was charged for three counts of illegal drug trading under section 5 in relation to Section 3(jj), Section 26(b), and Section 28 of Republic Act (RA) 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, a non-bailable offense.
Those named as her co-accused are her former lover and driver Ronnie Dayan and her nephew Jose Adrian Dera, each facing two counts.
The other co-accused charged with one count each are former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Franklin Jesus Bucayu; Bucayu’s alleged bagman Wilfredo Elli; high-profile Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian; National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Rafael Ragos; and De Lima’s former aide Joenel Sanchez
After the raffle of the cases, De Lima held a media briefing at the Senate insisting that two of the three cases should have been filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.
De Lima said there are jurisdictional issues in the cases, especially since the allegations in the charges were supposedly done when she was still the Department of Justice secretary.
She cited the phrases used in the complaint such as that she allegedly used her influence and power of her office as then DOJ secretary, and that she had “moral ascendancy” allegedly over the drug suspects.
“If that is the case then clearly yung pinaparatang nila sa akin na nakipag-konchabahan sa mga drug convicts are in relation to my office then as Secretary of Justice,” she said.
“Kaya sigurado ako dyan na pinilit lang nila na mapunta sa regular courts in the hope na makakuha sila agad ng warrant of arrest,” she said
“Pinilit lang nila yan, sinadya nila yan. It’s quite a stretch na ginawa nilang non-bailable (offense),” De Lima added referring to the charges filed against her.
