Former Senator Leila de Lima took to Twitter to appeal to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for him to order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop blocking the testimony of Rafael Ragos.
“Mr. President @bongbongmarcos I will not and will never ask you to interfere with the courts. This is my earnest and most respectful plea to you, your Excellency: Order DOJ to stop blocking the testimony of the recanting prosecution witness Rafael Ragos,” De Lima said on her official Twitter account on Thursday, Oct. 13.
According to Ragos’s lawyer, Michael Christopher De Castro, Ragos was set to testify on Sept. 30, but failed to do so because of a pending motion made by the prosecution.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/30/ex-bucor-oic-ragos-shows-up-at-de-lima-hearing-but-fails-to-testify/
https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/04/de-lima-urges-muntinlupa-court-to-allow-ragos-to-testify/
Ragos is the former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Officer-in-Charge (OIC). He is a key witness in one of the two remaining drug cases against De Lima, both filed by the DOJ.
He previously recanted his testimonies against De Lima and is the second witness to do so. The first was self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa.
“And for them to stop presenting obviously perjured witnesses like Herbert Colangco. You can reverse the grievious wrongs inflicted on me by your predecessor . Please, Mr. President. Salamat po (Thank you),” the ex-senator continued in a subsequent tweet.
Malacañang previously said that Marcos would not interfere in De Lima’s cases.
De Lima–an advocate for human rights and vocal critic of the previous Duterte administration and its war on illegal drugs--has been detained by the Philippine National Police (PNP) since 2017 on three alleged drug charges. Only two cases remain under the Muntinlupa courts. One was dismissed in February 2021.
On Oct. 9, De Lima was held hostage during an escape attempt by three inmates at Camp Crame's custodial center, where she is being detained.
De Lima is herself a former DOJ secretary.