The co-accused in the last remaining drug allegation against imprisoned former senator Leila de Lima have urged the judge to recuse himself from the case.
Motions for inhibition of Judge Romeo Buenaventura were filed before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 by De Lima's former aides Ronnie Dayan and Joenel Sanchez, as well as former Bureau of Corrections chief Franklin Bucayu.
Also yesterday, De Lima's attorneys filed a request asking Buenaventura to review his decision to deny her bail petition.
In the request submitted by Dayan's team, the judge is the brother of lawyer Emmanuel Buenaventura, allegedly the former counsel of the late congressman Reynalo Umali, former chairman of the House justice committee, who earlier denied De Lima's bail plea.
On June 8, Dayan stated he learned about the Buenaventura's from a Facebook post by a person named Berteni Causing.
Dayan alleged in his motion that he testified before Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 and that he "was coerced" into signing a signed declaration dated Nov. 24, 2016, by Umali, who was aided by a lawyer.
According to Dayan, the document "was eventually used as his testimony on a hearing before the House Committee on Justice implicating his co-accused, Leila de Lima, in illegal drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison."
Dayan, who recanted his evidence against De Lima, charged the judge with gross negligence, if not gross misconduct, for failing to disclose his contact with Umali's previous counsel.
Bucayu stated that he is requesting that the case be sent to another branch of the Muntinlupa RTC.
