Ex-PNP official to recant drug allegations vs De Lima

MANILA, Philippines — Another key witness in former senator Leila de Lima’s third and final drug case has expressed intent to recant his testimony.

Retired police Brig. Gen. Jerry Valeroso declared his plan to retract in a letter dated Dec. 18 and addressed to Judge Gener Gito of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206.

Explaining his planned retraction, Valeroso wrote: “Because I was disturbed by my conscience. I planned to recant in early 2019. However, due to fearing for my life and the safety of my family and loved ones, I lost the guts to do so.”

Valeroso added that he wants to recant in order to “set free all the accused wrongfully charged” and “disclose the real truthfulness that the criminal complaints filed against the accused are pure hearsay and full of lies.”

Formerly assigned at the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Valeroso earlier testified that he did an undercover investigation on the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City at the time De Lima was justice secretary.

During his investigation, Valeroso claimed that he met inmate Sam Li Chua, who showed him money amounting to P65 million, allegedly for De Lima.

Meanwhile, Boni Tacardon, De Lima’s legal counsel, welcomed the intention of Valeroso to voluntarily recant his testimony.

“For the defense team, his offer to recant is further proof of the fact that De Lima was a victim of persecution, planned and implemented in the highest level of former administrations,” Tacardon told The STAR.

“It has now become clear to us that the trumped up drug charges thrown against Leila De Lima, which resulted in her almost seven years in detention, were all based on lies and perjured testimonies,” he added.

While the offer to recant is a welcome development, Tacardon said they need a clearer explanation on the reason why the witnesses lied in their statements.

For his part, De Lima’s lawyer Dino de Leon said they will hold liable the people behind the “greatest frame-up in Philippine history.”

“(The witnesses) should name those people who forced them to testify…in order for them to face charges as soon as possible,” De Leon told The STAR in a text message. “Society is not safe with these unethical fabricators around. We will extract accountability from these people.”

Valeroso is the 10th witness in De Lima’s last drug case who has expressed his intention to recant.

In October, witnesses Maj. Rodolfo Magleo and Sgt. Nonilo Arile said they want to recant their testimonies because “they are bothered by their conscience.”

A month after, German Agojo, Tomas Doniña, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan, Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino and Hans Anton Tan claimed they also wanted to recant as they were only “coerced” to make false testimony against De Lima.

The former senator is currently facing the final drug case against her after the first two charges were dismissed in February 2021 and May 2023.