By Junex Doronio
AFTER SEVEN LONG YEARS, former Senator Leila de Lima may finally see the light of freedom if the court rules in her favor following the unexpected and surprising recantation of two witnesses against her.
Before the hearing started on Monday, October 16, at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC), convicted policeman Rodolfo Magleo handed his handwritten letter to De Lima, signifying his and police asset Nonilo Arile’s intent to recant.
“We both planned to recant as early as 2018 but due to impossibility of communication, we were not able to do so. We are bothered by our consciences. We do not want you to be a victim of a mistrial, we will reveal it in due time. We are assuring you all that the last case will be dismissed,” said the one-page letter signed by both Magleo and Arile.
The prosecution was taken aback although the letter was immediately submitted to the court.
Magleo, a former cop convicted of kidnapping, was supposed to be put on the witness stand on Monday but the prosecution had no choice but to forego the witness’ statement.
The ball, so to speak, is now up to the discretion of the last remaining court if it decides to free De Lima from detention which has stretched to seven years.
The former senator earned the ire of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte when she triggered the Senate investigations into Duterte’s “bloody drug war” which human rights groups claimed to have killed 27,000 Filipinos that also caught the attention of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
De Lima was then accused of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading which her supporters claimed to be “politically-motivated.”
(ai/mnm)
