Another witness against Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday withdrew his statements that implicated the detained lawmaker on drug trafficking charges.
Marcelo Adorco, in a new affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 24, also said the allegations he made in his affidavits dated August 4, 2016, and June 21, 2017, against self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, are not true.
"Wala pong katotohanan ang lahat ng aking alegasyon sa nasabi kong Affidavit kung saan umamin ako na ako ay sangkot sa kalakaran ng illegal na droga at isinangkot ko si Kerwin Espinosa at iba pang tao," he said.
(There is no truth in all of my allegations in my affidavit where I admitted that I am involved in the illegal drug transactions and where I tagged Kerwin Espinosa and other people.)
"Ang totoo niyan, napilitan laman akong pirmahan ang nasabing Affidavit dahil sa pangamba sa aking buhay at kaligtasan."
(The truth is, I was only forced to sign the said affidavit out of fear for my life and safety.)
According to Adorco, the affidavits that he signed were made by police at the Albuera Police Station in Leyte under the orders of former Albuera Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.
"Noong ginawa ang akin Affidavit, ako ay nakakulong sa Albuera Police Station dahil nahuli ako at ang aking mga kasamahan sa isang buy-bust operation noong July 28, 2016," he said.
(When the affidavit was made, I was detained at the Albuera Police Station because I was caught in a buy-bust operation on July 28, 2016.)
To prove his claim, Adorco said he submitted a counter-affidavit in August 2020 to the DOJ, where he said he does not know De Lima, and other personalities involved in the allegations.
"Hindi ko po sila nakita at nakausap kahit minsan," he said. "Wala po akong personal na kaalaman tungkol sa sinasabing pagkikita raw ni Kerwin at ni Secretary De Lima sa Baguio City."
(I have not seen nor talk to them at all. I have no personal knowledge over the alleged meeting of Kerwin and and Secretary De Lima in Baguio City.)
"Wala po akong personal na kaalaman tungkol sa mga transaksyon daw ni Kerwin kay Lovely Impal, Peter Co, at Peter Lim tungkol sa illegal na droga o shabu," he added. "Lahat ng mga kuwento tungkol sa 'kaalaman' ko raw sa mga bagay na ito ay gawa-gawa lamang ni Sir Espenido at ng mga tauhan niyang mga pulis."
(I have no personal knowledge on the transactions of Kerwin with Lovely Impal, Peter Co, and Peter Lim on illegal drugs or shabu. All of the stories on my ‘knowledge’ on these things were only made up by Sir Espenido and his policemen.)
His retraction of his allegations following the string of recantations made by other witnesses against De Lima, who is hopeful that incoming DOJ Secretary Boying Remulla will go over the cases against her and "do the right thing."
Remulla, in a previous statement, said he is open to reviewing the case against the senator.
