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Senator Leila de Lima’s camp stressed that the judicial affidavit of her former aide and co-accused Ronnie Dayan adopted before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 204 on May 13 further affirmed the Senator’s innocence in the illegal drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Rolly Peoro, one of De Lima’s legal counsels, confirmed that Dayan’s judicial affidavit was parallel to that of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos’s recent recantation saying that De Lima was not involved in the illegal drug trade.

“It is very consistent, very parallel,” Peoro said. “Actually, it confirms na wala talagang delivery (of drug money) to Senator Leila de Lima.”

During the hearing, Dayan affirmed his judicial affidavit recanting the statements he made during the 2016 Congressional inquiry implicating De Lima in the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary. In the judicial affidavit, he denied getting P10 million from Ragos in 2012.

In a manifestation filed before the Muntinlupa City RTC, Branches 204 and 256 last April 4, it can be noted that Dayan said the statements he made before the Congress “were made under due duress and without the benefit of counsel of his choice.”

Ragos, for his part, retracted his previous statements, affidavits, and court testimonies that he delivered money to De Lima and Dayan in an affidavit notarized last April 30.

Peoro said that there are three critical clarifications in Dayan’s judicial affidavit, which highlights De Lima’s innocence from all the trumped-up drug cases filed against her.

''First, he [Dayan] confirms that there was no delivery of ten million to him or to Senator Leila de Lima. Second, his testimony before the Congressional hearing in September 2016 was all forced and due to intimidation. So ni-recant niya lahat yung sinasabi niya. The testimony was not voluntary,” he said.

And the third material clarification is that he has no connection or transaction with the Bilibid inmates. So yun yung mga naging tenor or clarifications sa kanyang twenty-plus pages na judicial affidavit,” he added.

According to Peoro, Dayan’s statement is also consistent with the testimony of self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa who also recanted all of his allegations against De Lima in a counter-affidavit filed at the DOJ on April 28.

Peoro said that Dayan’s, Espinosa’s and Ragos’s admissions further asserted that “different members of the government are doing their part to coerce the witnesses against Senator Leila de Lima.”

With the new development on the case, De Lima’s camp is hopeful that the Court will reverse the earlier denial of their Demurrer to Evidence or would grant their new motion to dismiss the case.

“The decision of the Court denying our Demurrer and our Bail Motion, it was anchored on the testimony of Rafael Ragos—na sinasabi niya, nagkaroon ng delivery. So the Court, doon siya nag-anchor na may delivery, so we need to rebut that.

But [with] the recantation [of Ragos], and the testimony of Ronnie Dayan ngayon, malakas ‘yung aming palagay na dapat, at the very least ma-grant ‘yung aming Bail Motion,” Peoro said.

“Wala na kasi e. There is no reasonable, there is no more substantial evidence, much more strong evidence against Senator Leila de Lima,” he added.

During the sidelines of the hearing, De Lima expressed her gratitude to her supporters for keeping the faith and asked them to pray for the country.

“Salamat po sa suporta, salamat sa dasal. Magdasal tayo lagi, magdasal tayo lagi para sa ating bayan,” she said.

De Lima has consistently and firmly asserted her innocence in the cases filed against her. Due to lack of evidence, one of the three trumped-up drug charges against her has already been dismissed, which she called a “moral victory.” The two other cases are still pending. Comms OS Leila de Lima