The last and remaining illegal drug case of detained former Senator Leila de Lima has been raffled and assigned to Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204.
In the court's resolution issued on Friday, the case is now assigned to Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 Presiding Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara.
The re-raffle comes after Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 Judge Romeo Buenaventura, who previously handled the case, voluntarily inhibited himself from handling it.
Buenaventura dropped the case in the same week that de Lima's co-accused and former aides Ronnie Dayan and Joenel Sanchez, and former Correction Franklin Bucayu filed a motion that asked the Muntinlupa RTC 256 to inhibit him from taking over due to questions of impartiality.
According to the co-accused, Buenaventura is the brother of lawyer Emmanuel Buenaventura who allegedly counseled Dayan in executing his affidavit implicating de Lima in the illegal drug trading.
“The case was eventually re-raffled and assigned to this Court on 26 June 2023,” the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 stated.
The Manila RTC Branch 204 is the same court that acquitted de Lima in her second illegal drug case in May this year.
The continuation of the hearing is set at 8:30 AM on July 7.
Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered the prioritization and ruling of de Lima's trial within 9 months.
