Muntinlupa court orders transfer of 11 PDLs in De Lima case

A Muntinlupa court has ordered the transfer of 11 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) who served as witnesses in the remaining drug case of former senator Leila de Lima to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

In a four-page order, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court-Branch 206 directed the transfer of German Agojo, Tomas Dodiña, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan (alias Peter Co), Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino, Hans Anton Tan, Herbert Colangco, Noel Martinez, Nonilo Arile, and Joel Capones.

The 11 PDLs will be transferred from the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Mindoro Occidental to the Minimum Security Compound of the NBP in Muntinlupa City.

According to the order, De Lima moved for the transfer of Agojo, Dodiña, Patcho, Co, Duarano, Pepino, and Tan.

In November, De Lima asked the court to bring to court the seven inmates who claimed they were coerced into testifying against her.

Meanwhile, the prosecution moved for the transfer of Colangco, Martinez, Arile, and Capones.

"The concerned personnel of the NBP are ordered to secure the safety of the aforementioned PDLs. Further, the concerned personnel of the NBP are hereby directed to file their compliance in relation to this Order of the Court," it said.

De Lima was accused by the Duterte administration of benefiting from the illegal drug trade inside the NBP during her stint as secretary of the Department of Justice.

Her first acquittal came in February 2021 when the Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 205 junked one of her three cases.

On May 12, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted her and Ronnie Dayan, her co-accused and former bodyguard. — VDV, GMA Integrated News