A Muntinlupa court denied the petition of detained Sen. Leila de Lima to be acquitted in one of her two remaining conspiracy to commit drug trading cases.
Judge Liezel Aquiatan of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 affirmed the earlier decision which dismissed for lack of merit De Lima’s motion for reconsideration in connection with the denial of her demurrer to evidence in Criminal Case No. 17-165, involving her former aide Ronnie Dayan.
In a two-page decision on Friday, Aquiatan wrote that the “accused De Lima and Dayan must present their evidence to prove their innocence of the crime charged”.
De Lima’s lawyer accused the judge of “cherry-picking” citing her earlier eight-page omnibus order dated Feb. 17 that summarized the narration of the prosecution’s witnesses, while the defense side was mentioned only in half a page.
Earlier, Aquiatan acquitted De Lima at CCN 17-166 after granting her demurrer to evidence on her February 17 order. (ES)
