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In a move that has sent shockwaves through the nation's political and judicial circles, the Court of Appeals (CA) Eighth Division—stacked with appointees of former president Rodrigo Duterte—has overturned the 2023 acquittal of former senator Leila de Lima in one of her high-profile drug cases. The dramatic twist came barely 24 hours after De Lima accepted an invitation to join the House panel that will prosecute Vice President Sara Duterte in her looming impeachment trial.
The timing, as critics and observers are quick to point out, could not be more damning—or deliberate.
A Sudden Turn in a Long Ordeal
De Lima, a staunch critic of the Duterte regime and a former justice secretary known for her vocal opposition to the bloody "War on Drugs," had spent over six years in detention on what she and her supporters call trumped-up charges designed to silence her dissent. In 2023, the lower court finally acquitted her in one of the remaining drug cases, seen as a major step in restoring her civil liberties and political career.
But in an eyebrow-raising twist, the CA’s Eighth Division granted a petition for certiorari filed by Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra—himself Duterte’s former justice secretary—effectively undoing her acquittal and reviving the specter of legal limbo.
The ruling was penned by Associate Justice Eleuterio Bathan, a Duterte appointee, and concurred with by fellow Duterte appointee Justice Florencio Mamauag Jr., alongside Division Chair Justice Nina Antonio-Valenzuela, who was named to the bench by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a Duterte ally.
The Shadow of Political Retaliation
The reversal has not gone unnoticed for its uncanny timing: it was made public just a day after House Speaker Martin Romualdez formally announced De Lima’s participation in the prosecution panel tasked with building the impeachment case against no less than the sitting Vice President—and Duterte’s daughter—Sara Duterte.
While the justices involved have yet to issue a statement addressing the political implications, legal experts and political commentators alike are reading the situation as more than mere coincidence.
"Such timing strains credulity," said a former Supreme Court justice who declined to be named. “It risks undermining the public’s already fragile faith in the independence of the judiciary.”
On social media, outrage has erupted. The hashtags #DeLima and #PoliticalPersecution began trending within hours of the decision’s release, with many users pointing to a pattern of judicial weaponization under the Duterte administration and its residual influence.
De Lima: Free—for Now
Despite the CA’s reversal, De Lima remains free—for now. Her legal team has vowed to elevate the matter to the Supreme Court, expressing confidence that the High Tribunal will correct what they call a “grave injustice.”
"Former Senator De Lima has endured unimaginable suffering because of politically motivated charges," said her lawyer in a brief press statement. "We will not allow the clock to be turned back."
De Lima is also on track to assume her role as a party-list representative under the ML banner—a return to public service many see as long overdue.
But with the legal tide turning once more against her, questions linger: Will she be able to participate fully in the high-stakes impeachment trial of the Vice President? Or is this court reversal merely the opening salvo in a broader campaign to suppress her political resurgence?
A Nation on Edge
The developments mark yet another flashpoint in the escalating power struggle between camps aligned with former president Duterte and those positioning themselves as reformists in the post-Duterte era. With the Vice President facing her own impeachment battle and De Lima being drawn back into a legal quagmire, the battle lines are clearly being drawn—not just in Congress, but in courtrooms across the land.
More than a legal setback, the CA’s decision has ignited a firestorm of speculation about the enduring grip of Duterte-era influence, even as the country ostensibly turns a new page.
The question now is not just whether justice is being served—but whose justice, and at what cost to democracy?
For continuous updates and fearless analysis, stay tuned to Wazzup Pilipinas—the voice of the people, by the people, and for the truth.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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