Another key witness who previously testified against Senator Leila De Lima has recanted his statement against the detained lawmaker.
Rafael Ragos, a former officer in charge (OIC) of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), signed an affidavit dated Saturday stating that he was forced by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre to implicate De Lima in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Accusations
Ragos previously executed in September 2016 an affidavit where he said that in November 2012, he along with Jovencio Ablen, Jr. delivered a black bag containing P5 million to Department of Justice (DOJ) employee Ronnie Dayan and De Lima, when she was still justice secretary.
He also claimed that he delivered a plastic bag containing another P5 million to Dayan and De Lima in December 2012.
He later filed a supplemental affidavit where he said another round of collections for Dayan and De Lima was made in January 2013, this time coming from NBP caterer Jorge Goff, Ablen, and German Agojo for his application of pardon.
The former BuCor OIC testified before the House Committee on Justice in September and October 2016 where he reiterated his accusations in his affidavit, while also adding that his anonymous caller was Bilibid inmate Hans Tan, who told him the money from Peter Co and it was for the 2013 elections.
But all of these accusations are lies, according to Ragos.
'No truth' to affidavits
In his affidavit released on Monday, Ragos said that there is "no truth" to the accusations he made on the affidavits, court testimonies, and media statements back then.
"I now hereby declare and make known to the whole world that there is no truth whatsoever to any of these affidavits or House and court testimonies or any statement made in the media or other investigatory proceedings, including the Senate, and the DOH, on the delivery of monies to Sec. De Lima or Ronnie Dayan in whatever amount."
According to Ragos, there was no money delivered to his quarters, and if there was, he would have carried out an investigation and filed a case against the individuals involved.
He stressed that Tan never called him to deliver money to Dayan and De Lima, and even if he did, he will never follow orders from a Bilibid inmate knowing it was illegal.
He added that he never went on De Lima's residence with Ablen, and the only time that he did was when he went there with his wife to help the senator decorate her house for Christmas.
"As far as I know and based on my professional relationship with Sec. De Lima, she is incapable of doing anything illegal, much less engage in the illegal drug trade or accept money from Bilibid inmates," he said in his statement.
"All of my allegations to the contrary in my affidavits and House and court testimonies are all fiction, false, and fabricated."
Coerced by Aguirre
In the same affidavit, Ragos said he was forced to execute his previous allegations against De Lima and Daya due to "threats of being detained myself for the crime of engaging in the illegal drug trade that I did not commit."
Ragos said a week before the House Inquiry on the Proliferation of Illegal Drugs in the NBP, he was ordered by a certain Danny Yang to meet Aguirre at Solaire in Parañaque with former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran and John Vries.
Also present were Ablen, Roland Argabioso, and two lawyers from the Public Attorney's Office.
Ragos said that Aguirre interrogated him and coerced him to admit "something that did not happen."
"Mag-execute ka ng affidavit, mag-corroborate ka sa statement ni Ablen, kung hindi, alam mo naman mangyayari," Ragos quoted Aguirre in his statement.
(Execute an affidavit and corroborate a statement with Ablen. If not, you know what will happen.)
The former BuCor OIC said he was asked to "support and falsely corroborate" the claims made by Ablen, who eventually accused him of engaging in illegal activities at the BuCor.
According to Ragos, it was also Aguirre who called him to say that the money delivered to De Lima and Dayan was Peter Co, and that the money will be used for De Lima's 2013 senatorial campaign.
"Mag-testigo ka nang mabuti, minomonitor ka ng Malacañang," Ragos also quoted Prosecutor Laurance Joel Taliping, who told him this as trial went on.
(You need to testify well. Malacañang is monitoring you.)
Ragos said the other personalities who harassed him included DOH Undersecretary Raymund Mecate and Deputy Directors Rachel Angeles and Vicente de Guzman.
"Fearing for my life and safety, I had no choice but to follow everything that people asked me to do," said Ragos.
"I am executing this affidavit freely, voluntarily, truthfully, and without any mental reservation whatsoever, in order to absolve Sec. De Lima and Ronnie Dayan, who are completely innocent, from entirely false and absolutely fabricated criminal charges."
"I beg the forgiveness of these innocent persons who suffered from my transgression of bearing false witness against them."
Ragos's affidavit clearing De Lima and Dayan came after self-confessed drug trader Kerwin Espinosa also retracted his allegations against the senator.
De Lima is in detention in her fifth year amid pending drug trading charges made against her.
