(Eagle News) — The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 on Friday rescheduled the arraignment of Senator Leila de Lima and a co-accused in connection with a drug-related case.
Judge Amelia Fabros-Cruz reset the arraignment of the senator and Jad Dera to Nov. 24, essentially to give way to new motions filed by De Lima’s camp.
Filibon Tacardon, counsel of De Lima, said they filed two–one for the court to reconsider its decision on a motion to quash the information of the case, and another for the court to reconsider its decision on her previous application for legislative furlough.
De Lima was supposed to have been arraigned in June, but this was moved to Sept. 25 and then again to Oct. 13.
The Department of Justice has alleged Dera–on behalf of then-justice secretary De Lima–asked convicted drug lord Peter Co to give cash and others in support of her senatorial bid in 2016.
But the senator argued the actions inside the New Bilibid Prison where Co was committed were under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Corrections.
De Lima is currently detained in Camp Crame and is facing other drug-related cases in other Muntinlupa court branches.
