ASEANEWS-HEADLINE | Paper Edition: MANILA- ‘Greatest frame-up’ unraveling – De Lima lawyer

Sen. Leila de Lima and former BuCor OIC Rafael Ragos (FILE PHOTOS)

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MANILA, Philippines — The “greatest frame-up in Philippine history” is unraveling with the retraction of the prosecution’s star witness against detained Sen. Leila de Lima, the second in just a week, her lawyer Dino de Leon said on Monday.

De Leon said the affidavit executed by former Bureau of Corrections officer in charge Rafael Ragos, taking back his statements accusing De Lima of involvement in drug trafficking at New Bilibid Prison (NBP) during her term as justice secretary, should compel the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop all charges against the lawmaker.

De Lima, a fierce critic of the Duterte administration, has been detained at Camp Crame Custodial Center since February 2017, facing multiple drug cases that her supporters, including international rights groups, insist were fabricated.

In his affidavit notarized on April 30 in Pasig City but made public on Monday, Ragos alleged that then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had “coerced” him into testifying against De Lima.

This followed the retraction of another key witness, Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, who said he had been “misled by the police” into signing his affidavit against the senator in exchange for the dropping of charges against him. (See related story on Page A4.)

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De Leon said the DOJ should “do the right thing” by launching an investigation into how the frame-up job, part of an alleged “sinister plot” of the Duterte administration, occurred and to uncover the people behind it.

READ MORE: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1591343/greatest-frame-up-unraveling-de-lima-lawyer?utm_source=gallery&utm_medium=direct

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