MANILA (UPDATED)— Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday welcomed former Senator Leila de Lima's acquittal in one of two remaining drug charges against her.

“The rule of law has prevailed and it just points out to us that the independence of the judiciary is a basic foundation of our democratic system. So it’s good, it’s good for us. It just proves that things are working in our country,” Remulla told reporters at the Department of Justice, shortly after Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 promulgated its verdict.

“Di ko pa nakikita yung decision pero it could’ve gone either way. It just means democracy is working,” he added.

• De Lima acquitted of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading

Remulla, as justice chief, oversees the National Prosecution Service, whose prosecutors were responsible for pursuing the conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading charges against De Lima.

The third and last remaining charge against her is undergoing trial.

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Remulla said he was not aware if the prosecution would question the Muntinlupa court decision.

While acquittals in criminal cases are not appealable, he said on Thursday that a petition for certiorari could be filed to question a decision issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

“I haven’t read the decision. But an acquittal is an acquittal. It has to be for exceptional circumstances where you file that kind of pleading after an acquittal,” he said on Friday.

Remulla initially said he would review De Lima’s drug cases when he took office as justice secretary but later stood by the cases filed by his prosecutors.

“Even a year ago, 95 percent had been said and done already about this case, kaya ayaw na namin galawin yan. We call that the principle of institutional continuity. We don’t want to upset everything that the prosecutors are doing just because you arrived at the scene. Dapat d’yan you allow the institution to continue as it functions because it will continue beyond our time also,” he explained.

The charges were filed during the time of former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who former Bureau of Corrections OIC Rafael Ragos accused of coercing him to testify against De Lima. Aguirre denied the accusation.

• Aguirre offers supposed proof Ragos was not coerced into linking De Lima to illegal drug trade

In his initial testimonies, Ragos claimed he delivered two tranches of P5 million in November and December 2012 to De Lima’s house in Parañaque, supposedly as the then-justice secretary’s share in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.

But he retracted all his allegations in April last year.

• 'Natakot ako': Ragos apologizes to De Lima over drug allegations

Ragos’ retraction became the basis for the Muntinlupa’s court acquittal of De Lima on Friday.

“[T]he testimony of witness Ragos is necessary to sustain any possible conviction. Without his testimony, the crucial link to establish conspiracy is shrouded with reasonable doubt. Hence, this Court is constrained to consider the subsequent retraction of witness Ragos. Ultimately, the retraction created reasonable doubt which warrants the acquittal of both accused,” Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara said in his 39-page decision.

This is De Lima’s second acquittal after a Muntinlupa court in 2021 junked another drug case.

She is facing one more conspiracy to commit an illegal drug trading case before the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256, where her bail petition is pending.

Remulla declined to comment on the prospect of the bail plea.

“It’s still up to the court. I’ve always said that, I think I’ve been very consistent, that we respect the independence of the Judiciary and that it’s up to the court, we’ve always said that, from way back, from the very beginning,” he said.

If her bail plea is granted, De Lima can walk free, after more than six years in detention.

• De Lima marks 6th Easter in detention with 'renewed hope'

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