DOJ: Prosecutors not delaying De Lima drug case

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday debunked allegation that its prosecutors are delaying the resolution of the last criminal case of former senator Leila M. de Lima with the filing of a motion to inhibit against the judge.

Justice Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano asserted that the prosecutors “believe that a new judge would be best to the case.”

Earlier, Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara granted the motion of DOJ prosecutors and decided to inhibit himself in an order he issued on July 6.

As of posting, the case has yet to be raffled to a new judge.

The last of the three cases of De Lima, denominated as Criminal Case No. 17167, was originally raffled to Judge Romeo Buenaventura of RTC Branch 256. He denied De Lima’s plea to post bail.

“This program addresses the difficulty of farmers in transporting their harvest to the NFA efficiently at no cost as the mobile procurement teams shall pick up the farmer’s harvest in the agreed place and schedule, free of charge,” the report stated.

“Management fully conformed to all the audit recommendations and committed to continuously exert all efforts possible to be able to sufficiently maintain the required 300,000 metric ton government rice buffer stock to ensure the country’s food security concerns,” COA said.

ENFORCING TRAFFIC DISPLINE. Operatives of the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (IACT) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority traffic enforcers tag erring motorists for entering the exclusive passenger bus lane on E. De los Santos Ave. and Evangelista St. in Makati City. Manny Palmero