'Completely free and vindicated': De Lima cleared of all drug charges

MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Leila de Lima has been cleared of her last remaining drug charge after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 on Monday granted her motion for demurrer to evidence. 

The outcome of the promulgation was confirmed by De Lima’s lawyer Boni Tacardon on Monday afternoon.

A demurrer is a motion filed on the ground that the evidence presented by the prosecutors is insufficient for a criminal conviction.

If a court grants a demurrer, it effectively dismisses all the charges against an accused. 

The former senator has therefore been cleared of all the drug charges against her following today's promulgation. 

In an ambush interview with De Lima following the promulgation, she said that she feels "free and vindicated."

"The grant of our demurrer to evidence…means now I am completely free and vindicated," she said.

In a separate ambush interview with the members of the press, Prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo said that the prosecution is still studying if they will file a motion for reconsideration or other legal remedies assailing the decision of the Muntinlupa RTC.

Nevertheless, Ocampo said that the prosecution is "happy" for the former senator as she is their former boss.

"It is still premature on our part, we have still yet to read the decision,...but it is still to be discussed," Ocampo said.

As of writing, the Department of Justice has yet to issue a statement about the dismissal of De Lima's case.

De Lima, who has been in detention since February 2017 for her alleged involvement in the New Bilibid Prison illegal drug trade, was granted temporary liberty on November 13 last year after the Muntinlupa RTC allowed her to post bail.

The former senator, now the spokesperson of Liberal Party, her co-accused former Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Jesus Bucayu, former aides Ronnie Dayan and Joenel Sanchez, as well as the former senator’s alleged bagman, Jose Adrian Dera, were also allowed to post bail in the amount of P300,000

Prior to this, it can be recalled that on Oct. 12, 2023, that former policemen Rodolfo Magleo and Nonilo Arile, witnesses who accused De Lima of being involved in the illegal drug trade with late