De Lima: DOJ to yield to CA's pro-Lacson ruling

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said the Department of Justice has no choice but to defer to the Court of Appeals' ruling that ordered the immediate lifting of the arrest warrants against Sen. Panfilo Lacson. But De Lima said she and the DOJ prosecutors handling the double murder charges against Lacson may exhaust other legal remedies before bowing to the CA's ruling. She added that she will have to receive a copy of the appellate court's latest ruling first before divulging the DOJ's next move. The DOJ filed the criminal case against Lacson for his alleged involvement in the Nov. 24, 2000 killings of veteran publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito. "If that is what is decreed [by the Court of Appeals], then I would have no choice but to respect that because that is a court of law. But there are other options on the part of the public prosecutors, as well as private complainants. But... I will try to get a copy as soon as possible so we can be guided on what is the next step," said De Lima.

Last March 18, the CA's Special Sixth Division said that its Feb. 3, 2011 decision nullifying the arrest warrants against Lacson is "immediately executory." The Feb. 3 ruling also dismissed the double murder charges filed against Lacson. In its March 18 rseolution, the appellate court also junked the appeals filed by the Department of Justice and the Dacer family, which are seeking to overturn the Feb. 3 ruling. It also said that only the Supreme Court can reinstate the arrest warrants against Lacson. In Monday's interview, De Lima said she and her team of prosecutors will study whether they can seek redress from the high court. "I have to see first the CA resolution. [Going to the Supreme Court] is not the only option. There might be other options. I'll try to get a copy within the day so I can tell you tomorrow the next course of action," said De Lima. Earlier in the day, the Dacer family, through lawyer Demetrio Custodio, said that they will take the legal battle to the Supreme Court. We will avail [ourselves] of our legal remedy and bring this to the Supreme Court on a petition for review," Custodio said. — RSJ, GMA News