De Lima's lawyer questions credibility of prosecution witness

Senator Leila De Lima's legal counsel Rolly Peoro on Wednesday questioned the credibility of prosecution witness and Bilibid inmate Engelberto Durano who appeared before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court earlier this week in connection to a drug case involving the opposition senator.

Peoro claimed that in appearing as witness for Criminal Case No. 17-167, Durano contradicted his previous testimony during the cross-examination.

"The Court’s stenographic notes will easily show that Durano’s testimony is full of contradictions. The alleged delivery is simply incredible, even a layman can easily detect the lies," Peoro said in a statement.

“It actually reminds us of the quote of Senator Roco regarding falsities where he said that ‘the problem with lies is they do not only quarrel with the truth. They also quarrel among themselves," he added.

Durano, convicted of murder and frustrated murder, testified in October last year that he delivered money to then Justice Secretary De Lima inside the New Bilibid Prison in December 2014, weeks before the De Lima led a raid in the penitentiary, according to Peoro.

"Durano earlier testified that the money he delivered was sourced from illegal drug transactions days... However, on cross-examination, he testified that the money was sourced from a stand by fund that came from outside the NBP, of which Durano, an inmate, could not exactly determine the source," he said.

The lawyer further said that Durano's narrative of the alleged delivery of drug money to De Lima does not jive with his testimony that strict security measures and full security detail are provided to VIP visitors in Bilibid.

"On the alleged day he delivered money to then Secretary De Lima, she was inside the headquarters of the Commando gang, in the company of hardened criminals, with only two security details," Peoro said.

"He alleged that he was able to easily bring a gift wrapped shoe box several buildings away to the sanctum of the Commando Gang where then Secretary De Lima was, without encountering any inspection from the rival groups or BuCor guards," he added.

De Lima, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, is facing three drug cases. She recently moved for a third motion for bail.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/768037/de-lima-moves-for-bail-in-3rd-of-3-drug-cases/story/

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a petition seeking to hold De Lima and her lawyer Boni Tacardon liable for indirect contempt over alleged "intentional and malicious misinformation" about the status of the ongoing trials on her drug cases.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/766824/doj-asks-muntinlupa-court-to-cite-de-lima-lawyer-for-contempt-over-malicious-misinformation/story/

De Lima, on the other hand, said the DOJ was making a kangaroo court by attempting to bar her camp from updating the public about the developments in the trial of the drug charges filed against her.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/767194/de-lima-says-doj-making-kangaroo-court-after-asking-muntinlupa-rtc-to-cite-her-for-contempt/story/