The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) has set a deadline for the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) to issue a decision on former Senator Leila de Lima's remaining illegal drug case.
In an order released Thursday, presiding judge Romeo Buenaventura said OCA Administrator Raul Villanueva issued an OCA Circular No. 83-2023 dated April 28 which ordered the judges of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 to "prioritize and decide" de Lima's case within 9 months.
Buenaventura said that the deadline was set as the "case has been pending for six years, and to update the status of the case as soon as it has been disposed of."
"In view thereof, the panel of prosecutors is hereby directed to complete and terminate its presentation of evidence on June 5, 19, and 26, all at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, as previously scheduled," Buenaventura said.
The former senator is presently still detained in the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center, and her petition for bail or plea for provisional liberty was denied by Muntinlupa RTC 256 on Wednesday.
Last May 12, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted de Lima in her second illegal drugs charges after it found insufficient evidence linking her to the drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
