'Beyond De Lima cases, retractions show how institutions used to run after critics'
MANILA, Philippines — With the retractions of drug allegations against Sen. Leila De Lima five years into her detention, House Minority Leader Carlos Zarate said the lawmaker's case shows how institutions have been used to go after those perceived by the government as enemies.
In a statement, Rep. Zarate (Bayan Muna) said the “unjust” detention of De Lima shows how "democratic institutions and processes are bastardized and then weaponized by the now exiting [President Rodrigo] Duterte administration to run after its perceived critics."
"From ordinary farmers, church workers, drivers, journalists, artists, activists, and even elected officials, like Sen. Leila, are targeted by the Duterte administration through red-tagging, filing of trumped-up charges or even extrajudicial killings," Zarate said.
This was after former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos, the government’s star witness in the case against De Lima, retracted his allegations and said he was coerced to concoct lies to pin the opposition senator in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary.
Prior to Ragos’ retraction, confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, although not a prosecution witness, also recanted his allegations against the senator, who is also a vocal critic of Duterte.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers president Edre Olalia, whose group of lawyers regularly represent political prisoners in court, meanwhile said the retractions only “validate what we knew all along."
"That the legal and judicial process is being deliberately weaponized by the State and its agents for nefarious political reasons by unscrupulously constructing false narratives and peddling manufactured evidence. This undermines the so-called rule of law and gnaws at the integrity of our institutions," Olalia added.
The rights lawyer lamented how "casually" De Lima was discredited and then detained.
"Those who masterminded, goaded and enabled this brazed injustice must be held accountable in some way in time lest these outrages be repeated," Olalia said.
"In general though, the DOJ and the courts must take this overdue rectifications into full and proper consideration and accord the corresponding evidentiary value in her pending cases," Olalia added.
Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said Espinosa’s recantation will have no effect on their case against De Lima since the latter is not a prosecution witness. Malcontento has yet to give a comment on the affidavit of Ragos who is the DOJ’s key witness in one of the two pending cases against De Lima.
- Latest
- Trending
