Lawyers welcome, dispute De Lima acquittal

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, the legal counsel of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), one of the private complainants in the drug trafficking cases against former senator Leila de Lima welcomed the reversal by the Court of Appeals of her acquittal by the Muntinlupa RTC.

Topacio, a DAILY TRIBUNE columnist, said De Lima’s trials were “heavily suffused” with interference, propaganda and harassment conducted against him and the witnesses.

“The trial of Ms. De Lima was indeed heavily suffused with the interference of foreign meddlers from the European Parliament, heavy sub judice propaganda from her camp, as well as harassment suits filed against me and the witnesses, some of which cases are still ongoing. It is hoped that with the Court of Appeals ordering a trial de novo, the case will be heard minus such undue and improper influence, so that the truth will finally out,” he said.

“Once again, our courts have served as the last bastion of justice and truth in our democratic government,” he added.

Topacio expressed hope the Department of Justice will once again assign the case to Prosecutor Sonny Ocampo and his team.

On the other hand, another lawyer, Jesus Falcis, believes De Lima will not be jailed or undergo a retrial as the CA ruling only ordered the judge who acquitted her in one of the drug cases to rewrite the acquittal decision.

He said the CA decision only stated that the RTC decision lacked a sufficient explanation for how De Lima’s acquittal was arrived at.

Falcis pointed out that the Constitution requires decisions to state the facts and the law on which they are based and the CA decision does not mean a return to detention for De Lima.