THE Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing the drug charges against detained outgoing Senator Leila de Lima following the retraction of statements of several witnesses that contributed to the filing cases against her.In a radio interview on Friday, June 3, 2022, outgoing Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they are periodically reviewing the development of cases including De Lima’s.“Kaya sa kaso ni Senator De Lima, ganun din ang ginagawa naman que may retraction o pagbawi ng mga statement or not ay talaga naman periodically nirereview namin kung ano ang tayo ng aming ebidensya ng prosecution,” he said.Guevarra said such retractions, however, should be presented to the court for the conduct of cross examination to identify whether they are truthful or not.In a counter-affidavit submitted to the DOJ in April, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, who dragged De Lima in his illegal drug transaction in various congressional investigation since 2016, said all his allegations were lies he fabricated due to the pressure, coercion and intimidation by the police.Espinosa belied his earlier claims, particularly that De Lima accepted millions worth of drug money from him to fund her senatorial race and that she manipulated the illegal drugs trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.Few days later, former Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) officer-in-charge and deputy director for intelligence of the National Bureau of Investigation Rafael Marcos Ragos also retracted his earlier statement and said that he made up lies against De Lima on the order of then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.In September 2016, Ragos executed an affidavit saying that he, together with former intelligence agent Jovencio Ablen Jr., delivered two P5 million to De Lima’s residence in November and December 2012 from convicted drug personalities, including Peter Co, who is detained at the NBP.Ragos also said in a supplemental affidavit that he collected money from Jorge Goff on behalf of the NBP caterer, prison inmate and German Agoho for his application for pardon for the benefit of De Lima.He said the money, as told by De Lima, will be used for her candidacy in the 2013 elections.A key witness against Espinosa also belied his allegations, saying he is not aware of the drug dealings of the latter, including his alleged links to De Lima.He said he only made the statements due to threats against his life as told by the police.However, among the three witnesses who recanted their allegation, only Ragos serves as the prosecutor’s witness against De Lima.Guevarra said the recantation of the Espinosa and Adorco may have no direct effect on De Lima’s case. (SunStar Philippines)