Muntinlupa City – Former senator and incoming representative Leila de Lima has once again been acquitted of drug-related charges, following a reaffirmation by a Muntinlupa court that found insufficient evidence to prove her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade during her tenure as Justice Secretary.
In a 50-page decision issued by Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204, the court reaffirmed its May 2023 ruling acquitting De Lima and her former aide, Ronnie Dayan, of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading. The decision comes after the Court of Appeals nullified the earlier acquittal, citing the trial court’s failure to fully explain the legal and factual basis for its ruling, and ordered the case remanded for clarification.
In the revised ruling, Judge Alcantara stood firm in his original conclusion, emphasizing that the prosecution failed to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The key to the case’s unraveling was the recantation of former Bureau of Corrections officer Rafael Ragos, who had initially testified that he delivered ₱10 million in drug money from New Bilibid Prison inmates to De Lima through Dayan in 2012. Ragos later recanted his testimony in 2022, claiming he was coerced into making false statements.
“The absence of Ragos’ testimony renders the prosecution’s theory weak and unconvincing,” Alcantara wrote, underscoring that the remaining evidence did not support the charge of conspiracy.
The court said the retraction of the star witness effectively dismantled the entire case and restored the presumption of innocence owed to the accused. Judge Alcantara also noted that the prosecution itself admitted that without Ragos’ testimony, their case could not stand.
De Lima, who spent nearly seven years in detention before being granted bail in November 2023, hailed the court’s decision as long-overdue justice.
“Vindicated numerous times, and yet they are relentless in trying to silence me. But truth and justice won’t stay buried forever,” she said in a statement. “I hope and pray that this is the last nail in the coffin of this most expensive frame-up in Philippine history.”
This ruling marks the resolution of the last of the three drug cases filed against her during the Duterte administration — all of which she has now either been acquitted from or had dismissed. Throughout, De Lima has maintained that the charges were politically motivated, intended to punish her for her outspoken criticism of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.
The Department of Justice has 15 days to decide whether to challenge the ruling and elevate the case to the Supreme Court. If pursued, such a move could open up legal debate on whether double jeopardy applies — a constitutional protection that bars an accused from being tried again for the same offense after acquittal.
For now, De Lima appears ready to move forward. Recently elected to the House of Representatives, she is poised to return to public service with renewed resolve, after nearly a decade of legal battles and personal hardship.
