The next secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Cavite Rep Boying Remulla, is open to reviewing the cases against Sen. Leila de Lima after some witnesses turned against the opposition lawmaker regarding the drug trade.
It will be recalled that presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. chose Remulla to serve as DOJ secretary, which he accepted on Monday.
“Of course [I’m open to reviewing it]. Wala pa naman siyang conviction eh,” Remulla said in an interview with CNN Philippines, Tuesday.
“That’s already a cause of a concern. That is a red flag that there is something wrong. Siyempre noong nabasa ko pa lang ‘yan, ang sabi ko, ‘Magiging problema ko ‘yan. Pag-aaralan ko ‘yan.’ So we will study it. Pag-aaralan ko ‘yan.”
In April, it was only that self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa withdrew testimonies accusing De Lima of drug trafficking, something he allegedly did only because of “threats” from the police. Despite this, the current DOJ said that it would have no effect on De Lima’s other two drug cases, especially since Espinosa is not listed among the prosecution witnesses.
Next DOJ willing to review De Lima’s case
In May, the key witness in De Lima’s case, former Bureau of Corrections Officer-in-Charge Rafael Ragos, withdrew his earlier testimony that he brought millions of dollars to the senator from New Bilibid Prison inmates involved in the illegal drugs.
Ragos said former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II only forced him not to be included in the co-accused. Aguirre denied this.
In 2021, the Muntinlupa court acquitted De Lima, a well-known critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s human rights violations and the war on drugs, in one of his three cases related to illegal drugs. He has been incarcerated for more than five years.
Given the allegations of “intimidation” and “coercion” by witnesses in the court and Senate against De Lima, Remulla assured that there are mechanisms that can be put in place, such as the witness protection program (WPP), to prevent this – but it needs to be the government is said to be careful about who will be admitted to the WPP.
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