De Lima questions DOJ's refusal to transfer 11 inmate-witnesses from Sablayan to Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Leila De Lima on Friday reacted to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) refusal to transfer the 11 inmate-witnesses on her last drug case.

In a statement, she said that the DOJ's remark shows the justice department’s “continuing attempt to stand by its former secretaries.

This statement was issued a day after the DOJ discouraged the transfer of the inmate-witnesses saying that they are convicted felons and emphasizing that recantation does not warrant a “reward.”

“Until the very last moment, this agency which I also led for five years opposed my application for bail, despite its willful and deliberate use of manufactured evidence and perjured witnesses just to sustain Duterte’s persecution cases against me,” De Lima, who was also a former justice secretary, said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“The DOJ wants to prevent them from testifying again in court on their recantations to stop the identification of DOJ officials who played a crucial role in forcing them to lie & fabricate evidence in my cases,” she added.

On Wednesday, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 approved the transfer of the 11 inmate witnesses from the Sablayan Prison Camp to the New Billibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

Among the 11 witnesses are four persons deprived of liberty which the prosecution also recommended being transferred for a “smooth and easy access.” The DOJ raised concern over this, questioning the credibility of the witnesses.

De Lima, meanwhile, remarked that the DOJ supported the inmate-witnesses when it served their agenda but is now discrediting them, labeling them as convicted felons, and questioning the credibility of their recantations. 

“DOJ also says these are not ordinary witnesses, but convicted felons. That is what we've been telling the DOJ since Day One. As convicted felons, they're not ordinary witnesses, but they are also disqualified from testifying as state witnesses under Witness Protection Law,” De Lima said in her statement.

It can be recalled that one of the witnesses include former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos who recanted his testimony against De Lima in April 2022.