A human rights lawyer emphasized that the Court of Appeals’ (CA) decision nullifying the acquittal of Congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 is not yet final and executory.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo, Atty. Joebert Pahilga stated that de Lima may still file a motion for reconsideration within fifteen days of receiving the decision.
According to Pahilga, once the case reaches the Supreme Court, the high tribunal can assess whether the RTC’s ruling complied with constitutional requirements.
He also pointed out that the case does not fall under the principle of “double jeopardy,” which protects individuals from being tried twice for the same offense following a valid conviction or acquittal. This is because, according to the CA, the RTC’s decision was void due to its failure to comply with constitutional standards.
In a 12-page ruling, the CA’s Eighth Division granted the Office of the Solicitor General’s petition for certiorari and ordered the case to be remanded to Branch 204 of the Muntinlupa RTC for further proceedings.
The Muntinlupa RTC had acquitted De Lima and her co-accused Ronnie Dayan on May 12, 2023, citing the retraction of testimony by former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos, which the court said created reasonable doubt.
The prosecution’s appeal, filed on July 6, 2023, argued that the acquittals should not be considered final upon promulgation. However, the appellate court found that the RTC failed to thoroughly explain key details in its decision—such as which parts of Ragos’ statements were retracted, how these retractions affected the prosecution’s case, and which elements of the crime were not proven.
De Lima was detained for seven years on drug-related charges under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. She was released in November 2023.
