Former Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II on Thursday, Nov. 3, declared anew he did not force former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Marcos Z. Ragos to testify against detained former Senator Leila M. De Lima on her illegal drugs charges.
“Puro kasinungalingan at walang katotohanan (All lies and no truth),” Aguirre said in his meeting with journalists at the DOJ compound in Manila.
Aguirre noted that Ragos returned to the witness stand last Oct. 28 before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trail Court (RTC) Branch 204 where he affirmed his recantation.
De Lima still has a pending illegal drugs case before the Muntinlupa City RTC in connection with the alleged proliferation of dangerous drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) when she was justice secretary.
Ragos had testified that he personally delivered drug money to De Lima.
However, last April 30 Ragos recanted his earlier testimony and stated that “there is no truth whatsoever to any of these affidavits or House and court testimonies or any other statement made in the media or other investigatory proceedings, including the Senate and the DOJ, on the delivery of monies to Secretary De Lima or Ronnie Dayan in whatever.”
But Aguirre said he has video footage of Ragos that was taken by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) when the former BuCor OIC executed one of his affidavits.
He said one of these sworn statements, a supplemental affidavit, was made before the PAO which recorded the proceedings on video.
“Yung mga nandoon sa kanyang supplemental affidavit at makikita niyo doon na walang namimilit sa kanya. Siya ang tuloy-tuloy na nag sasalita. Siya ang nagbigay ng lahat ng mga contents nung kanyang supplemental affidavit at tumatawa pa siya. (You will see no one was forcing him in the video when he was making the supplemental affidavit. He continues to talk. He was providing the contents of his supplemental affidavit and he was even laughing),” Aguirre said.
He said that when he learned there was a video taken, he immediately went to the PAO on Wednesday, Nov. 2, to secure a copy.
He reminded that he resigned as DOJ secretary on April 5, 2018 when Ragos first took the witness stand before the RTC in 2019.
“Pero hindi naman siya nag-retract. Kaya katakataka yung kanyang retraction (But he did not retract his testimony against De Lima. That’s why I find it suspicious that he only made the retraction now),” Aguirre said.
He expressed confidence that no one will believe Ragos’ recantation.
“Wala namang maniniwala dyan. Ang tagal ko nang wala sa DOJ tapos nagsalita siya sa House of Representatives dalawang araw. Ganoon din sa Senado, dalawang araw. Nandiyan yung mga senador, nadinyan yung mga congressman. Bakit hindi niya sinumbong si Secretary Aguirre na siya’y pinilit lamang (No one will believe him. I have been out of the DOJ for a long time and Ragos was also made to speak before the House of Representatives for two days. He also spoke at the Senate for two days. The senators and congressmen were there. Why did he not say he was forced by Aguirre to testify against De Lima),” he pointed out.
He said he is willing to testify before the RTC to refute Ragos’ recantation. However, he said, he has not been summoned by the court.
“Basta mga ganyan, hindi tayo natatakot diyan (I am not afraid of those things),” he declared.
TAGS: #DOJ #De Lima #Ragos #Aguirre