Hiniling ng nakakulong na reelectionist na si Senator Leila de Lima sa korte ng Muntinlupa na agad na ibasura ang isa sa dalawang natitirang drug case na isinampa laban sa kanya ng Department of Justice (DOJ) matapos ibunyag ng key witness na si Rafael Ragos, dating Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge, na mali ang kanyang mga affidavit at testimonya laban sa mambabatas.

Naghain si De Lima noong Mayo 6 ng manifestation at omnibus motion para sa “outright dismissal; agarang pagpapalaya; at/o piyansa ad cautelam” sa harap ng Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204.

Hinahawakan ng korte ang case no. 17-165, na orihinal na inihain noong Pebrero 2017, na inaakusahan sina De Lima at Ronnie Dayan ng sabwatan para gumawa ng ilegal na kalakalan ng droga na nangyari umano sa kanyang panunungkulan bilang justice secretary.

Nakasaad sa kaso na mula Nobyembre 2012 hanggang Disyembre 2012, sina De Lima at Dayan “ay noon at doon nagpasya at sumang-ayon na gumawa ng ilegal na kalakalan ng droga, sa sumusunod na paraan: ang mga bilanggo ng National Bilibid Prison, hindi pinahihintulutan ng batas at sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng mga mobile phone at iba pang elektronikong kagamitan, kusa at labag sa batas na ipinagpalit at ipinagpalit ng mga mapanganib na droga, at pagkatapos ay ibinigay at inihatid kay De Lima at/sa pamamagitan ni Dayan, ang mga nalikom sa pangangalakal ng iligal na droga na nagkakahalaga ng Limang Milyon (P5,000,000.00) Piso noong 24 Nobyembre 2012 at isa pang Limang Milyon (P5,000,000.00) Piso noong 15 Disyembre 2012.”

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Ang kaso ay pangunahing batay sa mga testimonya at affidavit ni Ragos na nagsasabing sila ni Jovencio Ablen Jr. ang naghatid ng P10 milyon sa tirahan ni De Lima sa Paranaque sa dalawang petsa.

Sa kanyang affidavit na may petsang Abril 30, nilinaw ni Ragos sina De Lima at Dayan, at sinabing wala siyang inihatid na pera sa senadora at pinilit siya ng dating Justice secretary na si Vitaliano Aguirre II na tukuyin ang mga akusado. Itinanggi ni Aguirre ang mga paratang ni Ragos.

“Ragos is the one and only witness who supposedly witnessed such receipt. No one else. Not Ablen. Not the other witnesses. Only Ragos. Thus, with this 30 April 2022 Affidavit, there stands absolutely zero evidence to prove the guilt of Accused De Lima, warranting her immediate and full exoneration. Ragos’ Affidavit is categorical in stating that Accused De Lima is ‘completely innocent’ of these ‘entirely false and absolutely fabricated criminal charges,’ given that he had declared under oath,” ayon sa mosyon ni De Lima.

Dagdag nito, “To be absolutely clear, the full impact of the 30 April 2022 Affidavit of Ragos is not simply in that it contains a retraction of his false testimony against Accused De Lima, but that it actually explains the many holes, direct contradictions, and other badges of falsehoods in his narrative over the years. At best, it fully and absolutely proves the innocence of Accused De Lima.”

Ayon sa senador, “Without prejudice to other legal remedies and recourse available to herein Accused arising from the facts set forth in the 30 April 2022 Affidavit of Rafael Z. Ragos, including pursuing appropriate contempt, administrative, civil and criminal action against those named in said Affidavit, Accused De Lima respectfully submits that, at this juncture, she is already entitled to the outright dismissal of the charges against her given the utter lack of sufficient evidence to support her conviction; and, at the very least, to immediate release on bail given the utter absence of “strong” evidence of her guilt.”

“Accused De Lima, an innocent woman, has been unjustly detained for 1,893 days now, directly as the product of the pure concoctions of those who conspired to frame her up, using false witnesses that they have threatened, coerced or otherwise incentivized to lie before the court and the public,” dagdag pa nito.

Jonathan Hicap