The Muntinlupa court judge hearing former senator Leila de Lima’s remaining criminal charge has agreed to inhibit himself from the case, saying the court’s integrity is at stake.

The final case involved allegations that De Lima tolerated high stakes illegal trade inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was still secretary of justice.

In an order dated June 15 and released Friday, Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court judge Romeo Buenaventura voluntary inhibited from hearing the case but insisted the suspicions, “while unfounded and contrived, cannot be ignored since it already tarnished the integrity and impartiality of the Court as well as the needed trust and confidence in all subsequent proceedings.”

Buenaventura was accused of not disclosing that he is the brother of Emmanuel Buenaventura, who served as lawyer of the late Oriental Mindoro congressman Reynaldo Umali.

Umali chaired the House Committee on Justice which led congressional investigations against all the defendants.

De Lima, along with her co-accused Ronnie Dayan, her former driver; Joenel Sanchez, her former aide; and former Bureau of Corrections director general Franklin Bucayu earlier filed separate motions for inhibition.

Buenaventura said the contention that he is disqualified from hearing the case since he is the brother of accused Dayan’s former counsel in Congress is “misguided.”

“Bare allegations of bias and partiality are not enough in the absence of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption that the judge will undertake his noble role to dispense justice according to law and evidence and without fear or favor,” he said in the order.

The Supreme Court had directed the speedy resolution of the indictment against De Lima by the Muntinlupa court as the former lawmaker has been detained since February 2017. (PNA)