For the third consecutive time, the Prosecution failed to present its witness in the hearing of one of the trumped-up illegal drug trading cases against Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) last Dec. 4.
Atty. Fhillip Sawali, De Lima’s Chief-of-Staff, confirmed that the Prosecution lost its last chance to present a certain Sally Serrano, an alleged niece of drug lord convict Peter Co, as their final witness for Criminal Case No. 17-166 in the Muntinlupa RTC, Branch 205.
Serrano was also a “no-show” during the previous hearings held last Nov. 6 and Nov. 27.
The Prosecution appealed for additional time to allow them to present Serrano but the court denied their request.
“The court instead directed the Prosecution to submit their formal offer of evidence within five days and likewise ordered them to rest their main case,” Sawali said.
De Lima, who has been unjustly detained for almost four years now, attended the hearing via teleconferencing from her detention quarters at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Meanwhile, Muntinlupa RTC, Branch 256, also cancelled a hearing in one of the trumped-up illegal drug trading cases against De Lima because prosecution witness, Engelberto Durano, was also a no-show last Nov. 24.
It may be recalled that De Lima filed two separate and distinct Motions for Bail for both Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Drug Trading cases, asserting that the Prosecution’s evidence against her is not strong, and in fact confirms her innocence of the charges. (30)