Another Judge Recuses Himself from De Lima's Last Drug Case

The Department of Health (DOH) in the Philippines has stated that the state of public health emergency related to COVID-19 has been "de facto" lifted. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa made the announcement during a press briefing at Malacañang, stating that wearing face masks is now optional and COVID-19 is treated like common respiratory disease. President Marcos has shown inclination to lift the emergency status and instructed the Health Secretary to "get out of the COVID pandemic." The DOH is waiting for a resolution from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to formally lift the state of emergency. Herbosa mentioned that the obstacle of acquiring bivalent vaccines has been resolved, with the availability of a certificate of product registration. The lifting of the COVID health emergency will be released soon. The DOH emphasized the need for continued vaccination and protection for vulnerable individuals, despite the improving pandemic situation. Additionally, infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante suggested including young individuals aged five to 17 in the priority groups for bivalent vaccination. The government is negotiating for additional bivalent vaccine doses, as donations may not be sufficient for the vulnerable population.

Another trial court judge has voluntarily inhibited himself from handling the last pending drug case against former Senator Leila De Lima, potentially causing a delay in the proceedings. Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 Judge Abraham Alcantara granted the Department of Justice prosecutors' Motion for Voluntary Inhibition.

As a result, all case records of De Lima will be transferred to the Office of the Clerk of Court of Muntinlupa RTC for re-raffle to a different judge. The scheduled hearing for Friday has been canceled due to this development.

De Lima's appeal for her denied bail petition is currently pending before the court. State prosecutors sought the inhibition of Judge Alcantara, citing a previous case in which the same judge acquitted De Lima and her former aide and co-accused Ronnie Dayan, claiming that it could influence his decision in the current case.

In response, Judge Alcantara stated in his order that, based on the evidence presented, he had not demonstrated any bias or partiality. However, he recognized that if there is any lack of faith and trust in his actions, he has no choice but to voluntarily inhibit himself from the case to preserve the credibility, integrity, and fairness of the proceedings.

De Lima has already been cleared of two drug cases. In the first case, she successfully challenged the sufficiency of the prosecution's evidence, while in the second case, she was acquitted due to reasonable doubt. The former senator has been in detention since February 2017 and has consistently maintained her innocence, claiming that the charges against her are politically motivated.