Metro Manila, Philippines — A retired police officer recanted his testimony at the Senate in 2016 that implicated former Senator Leila de Lima to illegal drugs.
PLtCol Jovie Espenido (ret.), then known as an anti-drug crusader, took back his claims during the House quad committee inquiry on the Duterte anti-drug campaign. De Lima was a resource person in the hearing.
Espenido corroborated self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa’s affidavit that they were instructed by then Philippine National Police chief now Senator Bato dela Rosa to make sure that their testimonies against De Lima matched.
He said he personally did not know Espinosa and de Lima before the Senate probe in 2016.
He added that he was clueless about De Lima’s supposed involvement in illegal drugs before the Senate investigation.
De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte, was detained for about seven years for drug charges. Courts cleared her of all three drug charges.
