Motion for transfer of 7 PDLs in De Lima case submitted for resolution —lawyer

Former senator Leila de Lima’s motion to transfer and bring in seven inmates in her drug case who claimed they were coerced into testifying against her has been submitted for resolution, her legal counsel said Tuesday.

“Submitted for resolution na ‘yung motion namin for the seven witnesses who expressed their willingness to recant,” Atty. Raymund Baguilat said in an ambush interview.

(Our motion for the seven witnesses who expressed their willingness to recant has been submitted for resolution.)

De Lima is asking the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 to transfer German Agojo, Tomas Doniña, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan aka Peter Co, Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino, and Hans Anton Tan from the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

She also asked the court to bring in the seven inmates before the court so they could confirm the veracity of their claims. 

Despite this, Baguilat said he believes that the possible recantations do not have any connection to the case.

“Kasi nga nag-decide na based sa bail kahit na wala ‘yung recantation na ito. Pero siyempre para naman sa ating husgado, kapag makita niya na, uy meron na naman. Ilan na lahat ito… so kung siyam mag re-recant, medyo mapapaisip talaga ‘yung judge dito. Bakit kaya sila nag re-recant,” he said.

(Because the bail was decided even without the recantations. But if the judge sees that, the judge may take it into consideration.)

“Hindi namin sinasabi na totoo ‘yung sinasabi ng mga witnesses na ito, pero ‘yung reasonable doubt kasi dito napakaimportante,” he added.

(We’re not saying that what these witnesses are saying is true, but reasonable doubt is very important.)

Meanwhile, Baguilat said they were also given 10 days to file their comment on the prosecution’s formal offer of evidence.

“Importante ‘yun kasi nga magbibilang na rin kami after that period, kapag lumabas naman ‘yung resolution ni Judge Gito doon ay puwede na kaming mag-file ng demurrer to evidence,” Baguilat said.

(This is important because after that period, once the resolution of Judge Gito has been released, we can file a demurrer to evidence.)

In a separate ambush interview, Atty. Darwin Cañete said the prosecution filed their comment on the motion and was leaving it to the “sound discretion of the court.”

Meanwhile, when sought for comment on former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s criticism on the case, Baguilat said the prosecution said Roque did not have any hand in the case.

“Unequivocal naman kanina ‘yung sagot ng prosecution. At any stage of this case, wala daw pong kamay si Harry Roque,” he said. 

(The prosecution’s answer was unequivocal earlier. At any stage, Harry Roque did not have any hand in this case.)

De Lima was accused by the Duterte administration of benefiting from the illegal drug trade inside the NBP during her stint as secretary of the Department of Justice.

De Lima’s first acquittal came in February 2021 when the Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 205 junked one of her three cases. On May 12, the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted her and Ronnie Dayan, her co-accused and former bodyguard. —KBK, GMA Integrated News