Duterte: Testimonies against De Lima can’t be orchestrated

President Rodrigo Duterte has said that the testimonies of the witnesses during the House inquiry on the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) cannot be “orchestrated.”

“You cannot do that iyong ganon karami. You cannot orchestrate a testimony. Magbungguan iyan kung hindi totoo,” Duterte said in an ambush inteview with local media in Davao City shortly before midnight on Thursday.

“Iyong mga NBI, si Esmeralda, Lasala. Kilala mo lang iyan. Mas wise pa iyan sa akin,” he added.

The President was referring to former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Raul Lasala who are set to testify against Sen. Leila de Lima at the House inquiry on illegal drugs.

In 2014, Esmeralda and Lasala were removed from their posts by former President Benigno Aquino III upon the recommendation of then Justice Secretary De Lima.

The two former NBI officials allegedly had links to pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

During the house investigation, witnesses pinned De Lima, saying she got millions from drug lords inside the national penitentiary.

The senator has repeatedly denied the accusations hurled against her.