Hearing on De Lima's case reset due to "no show" of prosecution witness

The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 on Tuesday (Nov. 24) canceled the hearing on the trumped-up illegal drug trading case against Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima because the prosecution failed to present its witness.

Convicted murderer Engelberto Durano was supposed to be presented as witness in Criminal Case No. 17-167 but the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) did not bring Durano to the court for reasons still unknown.

The Senator's legal camp said the court directed the BuCor to explain their failure to bring Durano, who is an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, attended the hearing via teleconferencing from her detention quarters at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Hon. Romeo S. Buenaventura presided over the case. He is the 4th judge to preside since it was raffled to Branch 256.

The hearing was reset to Dec. 15.