CBCP: Charge those who threatened Kerwin

MANILA, Philippines — Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David took a swipe against individuals behind the “serious injustice” against detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima after self-confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa recanted his statement against the senator.

In a Facebook post, David asked if a case can now be filed against those “who subjected Espinosa” to pressure, coercion and intimidation, resulting in him making false accusations against De Lima.

David’s statement came after Espinosa retracted on Thursday his testimony during Senate hearings in 2016, in which he implicated De Lima in the alleged illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison  when she was still the secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Espinosa said his statements against De Lima were “false and was the result of pressure, coercion, intimidation and serious threats to his life and family members” allegedly from the police who instructed him to implicate the detained senator in the illegal drug trade.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they will determine whether to investigate law enforcement agencies for allegedly coercing Espinosa “when he faces perjury charges.”

Guevarra stressed that “making false statements under oath is a criminal offense.” The DOJ earlier said Espinosa’s recantation “bears no weight” in the remaining two drug cases against De Lima since the drug dealer is not a witness in the cases.

A question of motive

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa questioned Espinosa’ motive in recanting his allegations, saying the drug dealer may have mustered the courage since the term of President Duterte, who ordered an intensified campaign against illegal drugs, is about to end on June 30.

Dela Rosa was the chief of the Philippine National Police when Espinosa and his father, former Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa, were named as among the high-value targets involved in illegal drug operations.

Dela Rosa maintained that neither the younger Espinosa nor his father and family were threatened to implicate De Lima in the illegal drug trade.

“No harassment of him. His parents and family even slept at my quarters, I did not say unnecessary threats, everything he said in the Senate was of his free will,” Dela Rosa said in an interview over dwIZ.

Espinosa’s father was shot dead by policemen in his jail cell after he allegedly tried to shoot it out with them. – Cecille Suerte Felipe