The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a motion for reconsideration before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204, seeking to overturn the acquittal of former Senator and now Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima and her former aide, Ronnie Dayan, in an illegal drug case.
Dated July 14, 2025, the motion challenges the court’s June 27 decision reaffirming the acquittal, citing the prosecution’s alleged failure to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The DOJ argued that the court erred in discounting the testimony of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) official Rafael Ragos, despite his statements being delivered under oath in multiple venues, including court hearings and congressional inquiries.
The central issue lies in Ragos’s recantation of his original testimony, where he previously claimed to have personally delivered P5 million to Dayan and De Lima in 2012, purportedly proceeds from illegal drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). Ragos later withdrew his claims, saying he was coerced into testifying falsely.
However, the DOJ asserted that jurisprudence does not favor recantations, as they are often viewed with suspicion. The motion noted that retractions can be easily obtained through intimidation or monetary incentives, and thus should not outweigh original statements made in court.
“The court failed to adequately weigh Ragos’s earlier sworn testimony, which was not only given voluntarily but also supported by other witnesses and video evidence,” the motion stated. It added that no thorough comparison was made between the original and recanted testimonies, nor was the credibility of the retraction sufficiently justified.
The DOJ also pointed to a video from the Public Attorney’s Office showing Ragos narrating illegal activities related to the drug trade inside the NBP. According to the motion, this further supports the reliability of his original statements.
Both De Lima and Dayan have yet to state in response to the DOJ’s motion.
The DOJ concluded its motion by urging the court to reconsider the acquittal, emphasizing that disregarding Ragos’s original testimony would “make a mockery of our criminal justice system.”
The case remains one of the most high-profile legal battles in the country, as the government continues its pursuit to hold De Lima accountable for her alleged role in the illegal drug trade during her time as justice secretary.