Ex-cop Valeroso to retract testimony vs De Lima

Another prosecution witness in the remaining drug case of former senator Leila de Lima has expressed his intention to retract his statements against her, Super Radyo dzBB's Jhomer Apresto reported on Dobol B TV on Thursday, citing defense lawyer Atty. Felimon Tacardo.

The witness, retired Police Brigadier General Jerry Valeroso, a former investigator from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), has already submitted his Letter of Intent to Recant to Judge Gener Gito of Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206.

In a letter to the court dated Dec. 18, 2023, Valeroso said he decided to recant his testimony to "set free all accused who were wrongfully charged in court" and to "disclose the real truthfulness that the criminal complaints against accuses [sic] are pure Hearsay [sic] and full of lies."

It was Valeroso who earlier testified that he saw De Lima, during her stint as Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary under the Aquino administration, attending the concert of convicted drug lord Herbert Colanggo inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Valeroso, in his letter, he first considered recantation in early 2019 but decided against it due to fear for his life and safety of his family. 

De Lima, currently out on bail, was accused of benefitting from the illegal drug trade inside the NBP when she was DOJ secretary. She had repeatedly denied the accusation, saying it was political persecution on the part of the Duterte administration.

De Lima is a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Dobol B TV report also said there are nine more prosecution witnesses that have expressed their intention to recant, including seven inmates who have asked to be transferred to another jail facility due to threats to their lives.

De Lima was released from the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame on November 13 after six years of detention after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 granted her motion for reconsideration on her bail petition in her remaining drug case.

Based on the decision, De Lima and her co-accused — former Corrections Director Franklin Bucayu, Ronnie Dayan, Joenel Sanchez, and Jad Dera — were allowed to post bail in the amount of P300,000 each. 

Other witnesses against De Lima who have already recanted their testimonies were Kerwin Espinosa, Rodolfo Magleo and Nonilo Arile.

De Lima's first acquittal came in February 2021 when Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 205 junked one of her three cases. On May 12, Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 acquitted her and Dayan.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News