Espenido retracts testimony against De Lima, says Bato ordered him to link her to drugs

Police Colonel Jovie Espenido confirmed that Senator Bato dela Rosa instructed him and confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa to link former Senator Leila de Lima to the illegal drug trade.

Espenido affirmed this during a House Quad Committee investigation on drug war deaths during the Duterte administration.

He confirmed that he and Espinosa were coordinated to ensure their testimonies against De Lima were consistent.

This coordination was intended to ensure their testimonies would align in a Senate investigation into the illegal drug trade.

Espenido's statement corroborates Espinosa's earlier claim that dela Rosa arranged for him to talk with De Lima's former bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, and Espenido.

De Lima stated she felt "vindicated" by Espenido's retraction, noting that she had sensed he was lying during the 2016 Senate investigation and that he never knew her to be involved in the illegal drug trade.

Espenido confirmed he was retracting all his previous testimonies against De Lima given during the 2016 Senate investigation.