MANILA – The retraction of a former jail officer on his testimony that Senator Leila de Lima was involved in the illegal drug trade has minimal impact on her two pending cases, despite the senator’s assertion of conspiracy.
“The testimonies of the witnesses presented by the prosecution are enough to pin and prove the charges against accused Senator de Lima and Ronnie Dayan,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement Monday.
The DOJ was responding to former Bureau of Corrections Officer-In-Charge Rafael Ragos’ withdrawal on April 30 of his original statement, contained in affidavits dated Sept. 5 and 26, 2016 and March 2017, regarding the delivery of a bribe to then-Department of Justice (DOJ) Chief de Lima and her aide, Ronnie Dayan.
The DOJ reminded de Lima that “recanted testimony is exceedingly unreliable, for there is always the probability that it may later be repudiated. Courts thus look with disfavor at affidavits of retractions of testimony given in open court, and are wary or reluctant to allow a new trial based on retracted testimony”.
Based on the DOJ statement released late Monday, Ragos merely contradicted himself with respect to his recantation, and his testimony will have no bearing on the testimony of the other witnesses presented before the Regional Trial Court in Muntinlupa City, where he testified and where de Lima’s demurrer to evidence was denied.
“In all of the foregoing instances, there was no mention of coercion or intimidation,” the statement read.
In a hearing on May 16, the DOJ will present more witnesses.
Prior to Ragos’ retraction, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa also exonerated de Lima in relation to the illegal drug trade.
According to the DOJ, Espinosa was never a witness in the cases of de Lima.
“I hope it is now clear to the Filipino people that the false charges for illegal drug trading filed against me by the DOJ were the product of a long-standing conspiracy,” de Lima said.
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