year

proceedings “with no clear end in sight,” noting that some official proceedings “maligned her as a woman and injured her dignity as a human being” with some of the sessions bringing to light her alleged sexual conduct.

Last year, star witness Rafael Ragos recanted his allegations of receiving money from New Bilibid Prison inmates involved in illegal drug trading and handed it to de lima’s aide. Ragos is the former National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director and former Bureau of Corrections Officer-in-Charge.

“In his retraction, Mr. Ragos said that he had been forced to testify against her by the then Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II, who led the witch hunt against Ms. de Lima in the Philippines’ House of Representatives Justice Committee’s hearings in 2016,” the IPU noted.

Following Ragos’ recantation, the Department of Justice however said they will leave it up to the courts to decide on the matter.

Ragos has already finished his testimony before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204, which is handling one of the