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2 more witnesses say they want to recant statement vs De Lima

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Jeff Caparas, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Former Senator Leila De Lima shouts, “ipagdasal n" yo="" to="" her="" supporters="" as="" she="" exits="" from="" a="" scheduled="" court="" hearing="" on="" corruption="" charges="" at="" the="" Muntinlupa="" Regional="" Trial="" Court="" February="" Jonathan="" ABS-CBN="" News="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/02/27/20230227-delima-corruption-hearing-jc-4396.jpg"/><figcaption>Former Senator Leila De Lima shouts, “ipagdasal n&#x27;yo ako!” to her supporters as she exits from a scheduled court hearing on corruption charges at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court on February 27, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MUNTINLUPA - In a letter they personally handed to former senator Leila De Lima, prosecution witnesses Rodolfo Magleo and Nonilo Arile expressed their intentions to recant their testimonies against her.</p><p>They said in their letter that they are bothered by their conscience and have been wanting to recant their testimonies since 2018.</p><p>Both Magleo and Arile has accused De Lima of receiving drug money from Bilibid who de Lima allegedly will use for campaign funds.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="tl">JUST IN: Nagbigay mismo ng sulat ang prosecution witnesses na sina Rodolfo Magleo at Nonilo Arile kay dating senador Leila de Lima na nagsasabing ire-recant umano nila ang kanilang mga testimonya.<br/><br/>May lima pa umanong testigo na nais mag-recant, ayon sa sulat. | via… <a href="https://t.co/46ytUvDPI6">pic.twitter.com/46ytUvDPI6</a></p>— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews/status/1713842090189435270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Atty. Dino De Leon, De Lima’s lawyer, read the letter of Magleo and Arile that said they do not want de Lima to be a victim of mistrial. </p><p>The two also requested to be transferred from Sablayan Penal Colony to New Bilibid Prison to Muntinlupa, stating threats to their lives which the court immediately granted.</p><p>&quot;Ang sulat ay inabot mismo ni Rodolfo Magleo kay Senator Leila de Lima bago magumpisa yung hearing,&quot; said Atty. Filibon Tacardon.</p><p>&quot;Dahil dito sa sulat na ito, kahit &#x27;yung prosecution ay nag-desisyon na na huwag nang iprisinta si Rodolfo Magleo bilang isang testigo. Dahil sa aksyon ng prosecution, masasabi natin na nabawi na o binabawi na talaga ni Magleo at &#x27;di na siya tetestigo laban kay Leila de Lima,” he added.</p><p>Tacardon called on other witnesses to come out and follow what other witnesses did.</p><p>“Sabihin na natin ang katotohanan, ilabas na natin. Tapusin na natin itong mahaba-habang pagkakakulong ni Senator Leila de Lima na nakabase lamang sa mga tinatawag nating trumped up charges o basurang mga akusasyon laban kay Senator Leila de Lima,” he said.</p><p>De Lima has been in detention for seven years. The bail petition still has a pending motion for reconsideration.</p><p>“Lahat naman sila nagsasabi na sila ay tinakot at sila ay bina-bother ng konsiyensya nila ... Maniwala naman tayo na ang tao, kahit papaano, may konsiyensya. Itong mga tao na ito ay lumalabas na at consistent po at sunud-sunod po silang mga witnesses na nagrerecant.” said De Leon.</p><p>Tacardon said they are seeing a pattern on the those witnesses who recant - all were coerced.</p><p>Ramoncito Ocampo of the prosecution said they too are surprised with the said letter.</p><p>“As far as we are concerned, there is no recantation yet, there is only an intention because before he will be presented in court there was already a manifestation... We leave it to the court because in this particular we all knew fully well that bail petition for bail was denied,” said Ocampo.</p><p>Another witness who were with Magleo, Jaime Patcho testified, Ocampo added.</p><p>Darwin Cañete, also from the prosecution, said Magleo&#x27;s recantation is now irrelevant because they will not present him in the next hearing.</p><p>“I don’t think that’s relevant anymore because we are no longer presenting him there is nothing to recant,” said Cañete.</p><p>Magleo and Arile’s letter also states that there are five more witnesses who will recant their testimonies against De Lima.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/06/23/prosecutors-seek-inhibition-of-new-judge-in-last-de-lima-drug-case">Prosecutors seek inhibition of new judge handling De Lima’s last drug case</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b252D89_wXI?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

According to De Lima’s lawyers, the witnesses handed over a letter to the former senator before the hearing began.

2 more witnesses say they want to recant statement vs De Lima

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2 more witnesses say they want to recant statement vs De Lima

Jeff Caparas,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 16, 2023 07:40 PM PHT

Read More:

Leila De Lima

drug case

illegal drugs

detention

recantation

Rodolfo Magleo

Nonilo Arile

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