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The Palace said the retraction of Kerwin Espinosa on his allegations that Senator Leila de Lima was involved in drug trading in Bilibid won't affect the pending criminal cases against the former justice secretary.

"While Kerwin Espinosa appears to have recanted his allegations against Senator Leila de Lima, his recantation will not have any effect on the pending criminal cases against the lady senator," said Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, also acting presidential spokesperson, in a statement on Friday.

"We have to underscore what the Prosecutor General said -- Mr. Espinosa is not a state witness," he added.

In his affidavit issued Thursday, Espinosa recanted his sworn statements in the Senate joint committee hearings on the killing of his father Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr..

Espinosa claimed that he was coerced, pressured, intimidated and seriously threatened by the police to implicate de Lima into the illegal drug trade.

“Any and all of his statements given during the Senate hearings, or in the form of sworn written affidavits, against Senator Leila de Lima are not true. He has no dealings with Sen. de Lima and has not given her any money at any given time,” his affidavit stated.

“Any statement he made against the Senator is false and was the result of pressure, coercion, intimidation and serious threats to his life and family members from the police who instructed him to implicate the Senator into the illegal drug trade,” it added.

De Lima has been in jail since February 24 2017, for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade during her term as justice secretary under the late President Benigno Aquino III. Robina Asido/DMS