Former Senator Leila De Lima attends the resumption of the House Quad Committee hearing on the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA – Mamamayang Liberal party-list nominee Leila de Lima will focus on preparing for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial and on planned legislation in the face of the Court of Appeals nullifying her acquittal in one of her drug cases, her lawyer said Friday.

Nation Court of Appeals remands De Lima drug case to lower court

Lawyer Dino de Leon told ABS-CBN News that De Lima's camp believes the CA decision does not put her at risk of arrest and detention.

"The case is remanded to the [Regional Trial Court] so it can write it properly... This is an issue of how it was written, not an issue of acquittal," he said.

CA's remandment of De Lima's acquittal came a day after she agreed to be part of the House of Representative's prosecution team in Duterte's upcoming impeachment trial.

De Leon said De Lima's legal team believes the CA's decision was issued in good faith, adding they are also aware of commentary online on the timing of its release.

"The ones commenting on this issue are [Salvador Panelo, Harry Roque] it seems the Dutertes are still active in persecuting de Lima," de Leon also said.

He said De Lima will continue focusing on her mandate.

De Leon said the ML party-list first nominee will be "meticulous" in preparing for the impeachment trial, noting De Lima is as a former justice secretary and a bar topnotcher.

House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Third District Rep. Lorenz Defensor said the CA decision would not affect De Lima’s potential role in the impeachment trial.

“It will not affect [former[ Senator De Lima's possible role as a member of the prosecution team. What's important is that she will be nominated, elected, and authorized in the 20th Congress to be part of the prosecution team… It does not affect her election as a member of the House of Representatives representing the Mamamayang Liberal Party List,” Defensor said.

“Makaka-apekto ‘yan if the conviction is a final judgment of conviction… So it does not affect, since it's not a final judgment,” he added.

Meanwhile, De Lima's camp said they don't believe "there is a grave abuse of discretion" in the Muntinlupa court's decision acquitting De Lima "on the ground of reasonable doubt".

De Lima acquitted of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading

'NO GRAVE ABUSE OF DISCRETION'

CA granted the petition for certiorari filed by the Office of the Solicitor General, which argued that the Muntinlupa court’s decision must be reversed “for failure of the public respondent to substantiate his perception of the alleged insufficiency” of the prosecution’s evidence convicting De Lima and Ronnie Dayan. 

The said petition challenges decisions made in excess or lack of jurisdiction or with grave abuse of discretion. 

"We don’t believe there is a grave abuse of discretion. Judge Alcantara cited the recantation of [Rafael Ragos] in her acquittal of de Lima," de Leon stated.

Certiorari, Prohibition, Mandamus? A look at petitions and what they ask courts to do

"A recantation can actually instigate reasonable doubt. Ragos said he and his family were threatened," he continued.

Ragos, former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge, retracted his claim that he delivered drug money to De Lima in 2012.

De Leon said they are prepared to "protect the rights" of De Lima in exercising her mandate as a lawmaker.

Aguirre refutes Ragos; warns he could be jailed for taking back claims vs De Lima

— With a report from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News