Leila: Acquittal final, no double jeopardy allowed
The Court of Appeals voided the acquittal of Mamamayang Liberal party-list first nominee Leila de Lima in one of the drug cases filed against her, and remanded the case back to the regional trial court.
In a 12-page decision dated April 30 but made public only yesterday, the CA said the Muntinlupa City regional trial court failed to “substantiate the perception of the alleged insufficiency” of evidence to prove De Lima’s guilt.
The appellate court said Muntinlupa Branch 204 Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara acquitted De Lima following the recantation of Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos.
“However, the public respondent failed to discuss the specific proven facts as well as the laws upon which his pronouncement of acquittal was based,” the CA said.
“It is flagrant in the assailed decision and order that the public respondent failed to: (1) state the particular statements which witness Ragos specifically retracted; (2) state in particular the effects of the retracted statements to the facts proven by the prosecution; and (3) state which particular element of the crime charged was not proven.”
“Without a concrete reference to the particular portions of the testimony that were recanted, we are left to speculate as to which facts were disregarded and the extent to which such retractions influenced the outcome of the case,” the CA added.
In a statement, De Lima described the decision as “astonishing” and said her camp would appeal it up to the Supreme Court if necessary.
“It seems the CA wants the regional trial court to rewrite its decision because it was unclear. But we also believe that all of the CA’s questions in its decision can be found in the records of the case,” De Lima said.
“This does not mean my acquittal has been revoked. My acquittal is final and unappealable because of the principle of double jeopardy. The CA decision, on the other hand, is appealable up to the Supreme Court. My acquittal has more weight as it stands.”
“This will not obstruct my return to public service, and I will continue Preparing to push for justice and reform in Congress,” she added.
De Lima also insisted that the CA did not reverse her acquittal.
“It only asked the RTC to make its decision clearer,” she said.
De Lima and Akbayan first nominee Chel Diokno on Tuesday said they will join the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
This as only eight ouT of the 11 members of the prosecution panel are likely to make it to the 20th Congress, after Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon conceded in the Albay 1st District congressional race and General Santos City Rep. Loreto Acharon lost in his re-election bid.
Speaker Martin Romualdez hailed De Lima and Diokno’s “unquestioned legal expertise and deep commitment to justice.”
“Former Senator De Lima and Atty. Diokno are two of the most respected legal minds in the country. Their potential inclusion in the prosecution panel would add credibility, balance, and depth to this constitutionally mandated process,” Romualdez said.
“They are not just veteran lawyers—they are public servants with a lifelong record of upholding the rule of law and protecting democratic institutions. Their involvement would be a valuable contribution to ensuring that the proceedings are fair, principled, and rooted in the public interest,” he added.