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Advocates Philippines
Court Of Appeals Reverses De Lima's Acquittal; Orders Lower Court To Reopen Drug Case
Photo credit: Leila de Lima
In a major legal twist, the Court of Appeals (CA) has nullified the 2023 decision of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 that acquitted Congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima in one of her high-profile drug cases.
The CA said, in no uncertain terms, that the trial court's ruling had “grave abuse of discretion,” which essentially makes the acquittal invalid. That’s a big deal—because while acquittals are usually protected by the rule against double jeopardy (meaning you can’t be tried again for the same crime once acquitted), the CA pointed out that this protection doesn’t apply when the ruling itself is fundamentally flawed.
So, what happens now?
The appellate court has ordered the case to be sent back to the Muntinlupa RTC—yes, the same court that issued the now-voided decision—for a proper review and ruling in line with legal standards. In short, De Lima is not off the hook just yet.
The ruling, penned by Justice Elihu Ybañez Bathan, emphasized that courts should exercise their discretion with “extreme caution and strong reason,” especially when deciding life-altering criminal cases. The CA made it clear that the original trial judge failed to meet that standard.
To quote the decision: “A void judgment of acquittal has no legal effect and does not terminate the case.”
The decision can be viewed on the Court of Appeals' website for those wanting to dive into the legal specifics. But the bottom line? This development reignites one of the most politically charged legal battles in recent years—one that has put De Lima’s name in headlines for most of the past decade.
It’s back to square one for the former senator, and this time, all eyes will be on how the lower court handles the remanded case.
The CA said, in no uncertain terms, that the trial court's ruling had “grave abuse of discretion,” which essentially makes the acquittal invalid. That’s a big deal—because while acquittals are usually protected by the rule against double jeopardy (meaning you can’t be tried again for the same crime once acquitted), the CA pointed out that this protection doesn’t apply when the ruling itself is fundamentally flawed.
So, what happens now?
The appellate court has ordered the case to be sent back to the Muntinlupa RTC—yes, the same court that issued the now-voided decision—for a proper review and ruling in line with legal standards. In short, De Lima is not off the hook just yet.
The ruling, penned by Justice Elihu Ybañez Bathan, emphasized that courts should exercise their discretion with “extreme caution and strong reason,” especially when deciding life-altering criminal cases. The CA made it clear that the original trial judge failed to meet that standard.
To quote the decision: “A void judgment of acquittal has no legal effect and does not terminate the case.”
The decision can be viewed on the Court of Appeals' website for those wanting to dive into the legal specifics. But the bottom line? This development reignites one of the most politically charged legal battles in recent years—one that has put De Lima’s name in headlines for most of the past decade.
It’s back to square one for the former senator, and this time, all eyes will be on how the lower court handles the remanded case.
May 15, 2025
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