DOJ to ask Ombudsman to look into Ragos affidavit

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking the Office of the Ombudsman to look into the retracted statements of former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos on the drug cases of Senator Leila De Lima.

Prosecutor General Ben Malcontento said that their best course of action is to refer the matter to the Ombudsman since it involves current and former officials of the DOJ.

“If they exercise their motu proprio powers, it would be good for us. It is better for everybody to take cognizance of the issue,” Malcontento said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“The direction of our Secretary of Justice in our discussion is that given the personalities involved, it is best addressed by the Office of the Ombudsman,” he added.

On Sunday, Ragos retracted his claim that De Lima received millions in proceeds from the prison drug trade from him.

He also said that he was threatened by then Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre into making false allegations against her.

Ragos apologized to De Lima for testifying against her and said she should be cleared of the drug charges, for which she has been detained since February 2017.

DOJ wants to cross-examine Ragos

Malcontento also noted they are expecting to be given the chance to cross-examine Ragos in the court.

He explained that the court must still weigh between the two affidavits filed by Ragos, adding that until and unless his recent affidavit is brought formally to the court and becomes an official record of the case, “it has no effect as of this time.”

“The court will have to weigh as between the two affidavits, the first affidavit wherein it was followed by a series of testimonies coming from Ragos. And this latest affidavit, it is the duty of the court to weigh what to believe or not to believe at all,” Malcontento said.

“The matter is pending with our courts, and we will have to wait and respect whatever the decision of the courts. In so far Ragos is concerned, and whatever the decision, and in so far, the cases are concerned,” he furthered.

Politically aligned?

Moreover, the prosecutor general believed that the recantations of witnesses on drug cases against De Lima were politically aligned.

Self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa on April 28 disowned his sworn statements during the Senate joint committee hearings on the killing of his father Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., saying he was “coerced, pressured, intimidated and seriously threatened” by the police to implicate de Lima.

“One after the other. And by Monday, we have an election. So, we can presume, reasonably presume that there is a connection here. But in so far as politics is concerned that is our assessment,” Malconteno pointed out.

“But for the cases concerned, the prosecution is still firm that in so far as the first case is concerned, wherein Ragos testified, we have other cases, for that case. And we’re not solely relying on Ragos,” he added.

Malconteto further stressed Ragos could possibly face perjury charges for recanting his previous statements.

“There are private complainants here. And we heard that they will be filing charges. So far as the DOJ is concerned, we will just wait if these charges are filed or any entity would file against them, and we will have decided accordingly,” he said.—LDF, GMA News