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De Lima case: Muntinlupa court allows Ragos to testify on his recantation

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<p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>- A Muntinlupa court on Wednesday allowed former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos to proceed with his testimony recanting his allegations against former Senator Leila de Lima. </p><p>In September, Ragos failed to testify in the said court after the prosecution opposed his taking the witness stand.</p><p>They had earlier filed a motion for reconsideration of an earlier order allowing Ragos to testify.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2020026" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/30/22/ragos-fails-to-affirm-recantation-lawyer-concerned-for-his-safety">Ragos fails to affirm recantation in De Lima case; lawyer concerned for his safety</a></li></ul><p>In his order, Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 said the court should determine which testimony should be given credence through a comparison of the original testimony and the new testimony, applying the general rules of evidence. </p><p>He also noted that even if Ragos had made a retraction, this circumstance alone does not require the court to disregard or exclude the original testimony solely on the basis of the recantation.</p><p>&quot;The interests of justice would best be served if the supposed recantation of Mr. Ragos be tested in a public trial with sufficient opportunity given to the prosecution to cross-examine the recanting witness,&quot; the court said.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="mikenavallo" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/10/19/20221019-muntinlupa-court-gives-go-signal-mikenavallo.jpg"/></figure></div><p>Ragos claimed in his affidavit that he was merely coerced by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to implicate De Lima.</p><p>Aguirre has denied the claim.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2023241" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>De Lima’s lawyers had hoped Ragos’ affirmation of his recantation would deal a big blow to the government’s case against the detained senator.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2297162" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Ragos’ claim that he personally delivered a total of P10 million to De Lima’s former bodyguard Ronnie Dayan allegedly in her house in Parañaque in November and December 2012 was instrumental in keeping the drug case against Dayan and De Lima alive.</p><p>A Muntinlupa court denied their demurrer to evidence last year, essentially a motion to dismiss due to insufficiency of prosecution evidence, citing Ragos’ testimony.</p><p>The same court denied their bail plea for the same reason.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/17/21/muntinlupa-court-junks-1-of-3-drug-cases-vs-de-lima">Muntinlupa court junks 1 of 3 drug cases vs De Lima</a></li></ul><p>Calls to free De Lima have been renewed after she was held hostage by a former Abu Sayyaf member attempting to flee their detention facility at the Philippine National Police headquarters.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/09/22/de-limas-release-sought-anew-after-hostage-taking-incident">Release of ex-Sen. De Lima sought anew after brief hostage-taking incident</a></li></ul><p>De Lima has been in jail since February 2017, accusing the former administration of political persecution. She sought a reelection last May but failed.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2297171" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

A Muntinlupa court allowed ex-BuCor chief Rafael Ragos to testify on his testimony recanting his allegations against ex-senator Leila de Lima. 