A regional trial court in Las Pinas acquitted on Friday Juanito Jose Remulla III, son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, for possessing illegal drugs worth P1.3 million.

In a 34-page ruling of the Las Pinas Regional Trial Court Branch 197, it said that Juanito Jose was acquitted of the violation of Section 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 “on the ground of reasonable doubt”.

The ruling was signed by Acting Presiding Judge Ricardo Moldez III.

Pearlito Campanillo, one of Juanito Jose’s lawyers, told dzBB the package was not meant for his client.

“The name on the shipper’s form and his ID were wrong. If you’re going to claim a parcel, usually they would ask you for two IDs. If the spelling of the name is wrong, then they won’t give the parcel. What happened here is that they only asked him for one ID,” Campanilla told reporters.

“It’s not for him. Juanito Remulla is very different from Juanito Jose Remulla III,” he added.

Juanito Jose is also facing a separate charge for drug importation and breaking the Customs law at the Pasay Prosecutor’s Office.

He was released from the Las Pinas City jail shortly after being acquitted.

Juanito Jose previously pleaded not guilty to the possession of illegal drugs in November last year.

On October 11, 2022, he was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group at Talon Dos concerning the shipping of a parcel allegedly containing 900 grams of high-grade marijuana from him. Jaspearl Tan/DMS