Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima on Tuesday asserted there is nothing questionable about witnesses finally speaking the truth and finding it in their conscience to retract their lies against her in relation to illegal drugs.
De Lima said the Department of Justice’s decision to keep her detained despite the recent developments in her trumped-up drug cases puts into question the agency’s fidelity to justice, even more than her ongoing cases already do.
“Anyone can see how I am in no position to force anything from the witnesses against me,” she said.
“There are many things questionable about the cases against me, ” added the senator.
On Monday, a key witness in the drug case against the opposition senator retracted his testimony and accused former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of coercing him to testify against her.
Rafael Ragos, former deputy director for intelligence at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), signed a sworn statement Saturday disavowing his earlier claim that he personally delivered P5 million to Ronnie Dayan, De Lima’s bodyguard at the time, at her residence in Parañaque City in November and December 2012.
De Lima was Justice Secretary at that time, and the drug money was supposedly for the 2013 elections—even though she did not run in that year.
The recantation of witnesses, she said, is not one of them. If anything, this is the only thing that makes sense: it’s proof that the truth will always come out.
“The DOJ is supposed to search for the truth. Ngayon, the DOJ wants to bury the truth… dahil ba mga opisyales nila ang sangkot? [is it because their officials are involved?]” she asked.
In a statement, the DOJ questioned the delay on the part of Ragos in recanting his previous statements, saying it casts doubt on its truthfulness.
De Lima maintained that the DOJ’s mandate is to serve the ends of justice, and not to use the law to persecute and oppress.
“Once they lost the moral certainty to have me convicted beyond reasonable doubt, it is their duty to withdraw the cases,” she said.
De Lima considered her unjust detention as the “greatest frame-up”, “grandest conspiracy of lies” and the “grossest injustice” under the Duterte regime.
Ragos’ recantation came just days after confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa also recanted his allegations against De Lima in relation to illegal drug trade in a counter-affidavit filed at the DOJ on April 28.
De Lima said she has consistently and firmly asserted her innocence in the cases filed against her.
Due to lack of evidence, one of the three trumped-up drug charges against her has already been dismissed, which she called a “moral victory.” The two other cases are still pending.