Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Leila de Lima speaks at the House of Representatives on October 22, 2024, during the Quad-Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings tied to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17593025283261759302528037.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Leila de Lima speaks at the House of Representatives on October 22, 2024, during the Quad-Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings tied to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File </div>MANILA (UPDATED) — The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204 has granted the withdrawal of the prosecution&#x27;s motion for reconsideration on Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila De Lima&#x27;s last illegal drugs case, which was meant to try to revive it.Presiding Judge Abraham Alcantara said in the decision that the court recognized the directive of Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon to withdraw the appeal.”With the withdrawal of the motion for reconsideration, this case is hereby deemed closed and terminated,” Alcantara said.In the their motion for reconsideration, prosecutors led by Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Bienvenido Ocampo argued that the recantation of witness Rafael Ragos was not sufficient to “vitiate”, or invalidate, his original testimony.The Motion for Reconsideration was a result of the resolution of the Court of Appeals to remand the case to the RTC but Judge Alcantara stood his ground and upheld his decision to acquit De Lima.<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/15/doj-prosecutors-ask-muntinlupa-court-to-convict-de-lima-in-illegal-drugs-case-1952">DOJ prosecutors ask Muntinlupa court to convict De Lima in illegal drugs case </a></div>Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla then stepped in and instructed Fadullon to retract the motion and &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/23/doj-to-withdraw-appeal-of-prosecutors-who-wanted-de-lima-s-conviction-on-illegal-drugs-1314">stop the foolishness of these people under us</a> because they are following a political agenda, not a legal agenda.&quot;<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/14/de-lima-asks-doj-to-probe-prosecutors-who-tried-to-revive-dismissed-drug-cases-1159">De Lima asks DOJ to probe prosecutors who tried to revive dismissed drug cases </a></div>“With the acquittal being immediately final, granting the State&#x27;s motion for reconsideration in this case would violate the Constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy because it would effectively reopen the prosecution and subject the accused to a second jeopardy despite their acquittal,” Alcantara said.In a statement, De Lima thanked Judge Alcantara for upholding his decision.&quot;We welcome this development and thank Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara for once again upholding justice and the rule of law,&quot; De Lima said.De Lima however told Secretary Remulla to act on her complaint against government prosecutors who handled the illegal drugs cases filed during the Duterte administration.&quot;I am calling on Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to take swift action regarding my letter-complaint submitted last August 14, requesting an administrative investigation against the members of the DOJ Panel who handled my three trumped-up drug cases, for grave misconduct and gross ignorance of the law,&quot; De Lima said.

”With the withdrawal of the motion for reconsideration, this case is hereby deemed closed and terminated,” Presiding Judge Abraham Alcantara said.

”With the withdrawal of the motion for reconsideration, this case is hereby deemed closed and terminated,” Presiding Judge Abraham Alcantara said.

De Lima's last drug case ends with prosecutors' withdrawal of MR

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De Lima's last drug case ends with prosecutors' withdrawal of MR

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 01, 2025 03:13 PM PHT

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Updated October 01, 2025 07:33 PM PHT

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Leila De Lima

Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204

Abraham Alcantara

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