2 more witnesses against De Lima retract claims
TWO MORE witnesses have taken back their allegations against detained former senator Leila M. de Lima, who has been imprisoned since Feb. 2017 on drug trafficking charges.
During a hearing on Ms. De Lima’s remaining illegal drug case, former police Major Rodolfo T. Magleo and former Sergeant Nonilo Arile, who was an inmate at the national penitentiary, handed her a letter that detailed their recantations, said her lawyer Filibon F. Tacardon during a livestreamed briefing with reporters on Monday.
The two witnesses wanted to recant their allegations because they were “bothered by their conscience,” according to a copy of the letter.
“We both planned to recant as early as 2018 but due to impossibility of communication, we were unable to do so,” the former police officers said in the letter. “We want to help you be set free together with your fellow co-accused.”
“The prosecutors and the judge are in the best position to determine whether weight should be put on the recanted statement or the original statement,” Justice spokesman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV said in a Viber message. “In the end, all parties just want the truth.”
Ms. De Lima’s camp claimed that five more state witnesses are also expected to recant their allegations.
Four witnesses previously retracted their testimonies against the former lawmaker. They all claimed to have been coerced by the previous administration.
A Muntinlupa trial court in May acquitted Ms. De Lima and her former aide of drug trafficking charges. Her first drug case was dismissed in 2021 and the Ombudsman cleared her of bribery charges due to lack of evidence last year.
In February, former prison chief Rafael Z. Ragos retracted his allegations against the former senator in open court, saying he had been coerced by a former Justice chief into testifying. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
