MANILA — Another witness admitted in open court Monday that he does not know and did not have any transactions with detained Senator Leila de Lima, the senator’s lawyer said.

Speaking to the media after a bail hearing at the Muntinlupa regional trial court, Atty. Boni Tacardon said two significant developments came out of the continuation of the cross-examination of prosecution witness Joel Capones.

JUST IN: Another prosec witness, Joel Capones, admits in open court to not knowing nor having any transactions with Sen de Lima, the senator’s lawyer Boni Tacardon says. When asked about P1.5M he allegedly saw Jaybee Sebastian give De Lima, Capones said “Anong pera?” pic.twitter.com/tQ94hTOkis

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) May 30, 2022

“Una is inamin niya sa kanyang cross-examination na wala siyang transaksyon at hindi niya kakilala si Senator Leila de Lima and kung meron man siyang transaksyon hinggil sa illegal na drug trade, ito ay kay Jaybee Sebastian lang,” Tacardon said, referring to the late convict Jaybee Sebastian.

“Noong tinanong siya noong direct examination, sabi niya, nakita niya na may inabot na pera daw si Jaybee Sebastian. Pero noong tinanong uli namin yun noong cross-examination, ang exact words na sinabi niya is, ‘Anong pera?’ So I would leave that to you kung anong ibig sabihin niya nun,” he added.

Capones, who first testified in February last year, initially claimed he remitted P1.4 million in drug money to Sebastian on March 5, 2014 inside Sebastian’s “kubol” or hut at the national penitentiary and later saw then-Justice Secretary De Lima.

A heavily-guarded Sen. Leila de Lima arrives at the Muntinlupa RTC for the resumption of her bail hearing in one of her drug cases. Prosecution witness Joel Capones expected to be cross-examined over his claims late convict Jaybee Sebastian gave drug money to De Lima. pic.twitter.com/1JaM0lPrxQ

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) May 30, 2022

De Lima’s legal team questioned his testimony saying Sebastian never spoke of a 1.4-million transaction in any of his affidavits before his sudden death at the national penitentiary in July 2020, supposedly due to COVID-19.

• Murder convict claims De Lima received drug money from Jaybee Sebastian

“Ang masakit nga lang d'yan, dahil namatay na si Jaybee Sebastian, wala nang makakapagsuporta tungkol sa transaksyon niya sa sinasabi niyang transaksyon niya hinggil sa illegal na droga,” Tacardon said of Capones’ claim.

Government prosecutors previously said Sebastian pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading in the case where De Lima is co-accused but did not live long enough to testify.

But prosecutor Darwin Cañete was quick to dismiss supposed loopholes in the testimony of Capones.

“As far as we are concerned, the witness testified well,” he said.

“Well kami, positive kami, ang outlook namin sa kanyang testimony. Now the appreciation is up to the court,” he added.

Both the prosecution and the defense consider Capones’ testimony significant because he is the only witness so far to have openly admitted to being involved in the illegal drug trade.

De Lima tried to file drug raps against Capones over his admission but prosecutors junked her complaint.

Capones is the prosecution’s 6th witness against De Lima in the bail hearing.

The senator is trying to secure temporary liberty in the non-bailable charge of conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading by showing the evidence against her is not strong.

Two more witnesses — Herbert Colanggo and Jojo Baligad — are expected to be presented in the next hearing on June 13.

They were present in court on Monday but were not able to testify.

Capones is the prosecution’s 6th witness in De Lima’s bail hearing.

Prosecution is set to present 2 more witnesses — Herbert Colanggo and Jojo Baligad. They were present in court but have yet to testify. pic.twitter.com/7N3w8Mf4h2

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) May 30, 2022

All three witnesses — Capones, Colanggo and Baligad — left the Muntinlupa court Monday after refusing to comment on the issue.

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Meanwhile, an upbeat De Lima left court raising her trademark open palm claiming, “Another good day!”

EARLIER: Asked about today’s hearing as she was leaving the Muntinlupa RTC, De Lima said: “Another good day!” pic.twitter.com/qoao1SqZPv

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) May 30, 2022

Detained since 2017, De Lima has been fighting drug charges which she calls “political persecution.”

One of the 3 drug cases against her was dismissed in February last year.

• Muntinlupa court junks 1 of 3 drug cases vs De Lima

Three other witnesses have so far recanted allegations against her.

In April, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa took back all his allegations against De Lima during a 2016 Senate hearing that he gave a total of P8 million in drug payoffs to De Lima when the latter was Justice Secretary, through her former driver, Ronnie Dayan.

• 'Not true': Kerwin Espinosa recants all allegations vs De Lima, says lawyer

A few days later, former Bureau of Corrections OIC Rafael Ragos also recanted his testimony in court that he personally delivered P10 million of alleged drug money to Dayan at De Lima’s house in Parañaque, accusing former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of pressuring him to testify against De Lima.

• Another witness retracts drug accusations vs De Lima

Aguirre has denied the claim.

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In mid-May, Dayan testified in his defense that no delivery of drug money to De Lima’s house ever happened.

He also recanted his earlier testimony before the House of Representatives that he supposedly received drug money from Espinosa.

He accused the late Rep. Rey Umali, then the House Justice committee chair, of forcing him to testify against De Lima and to sign an affidavit which Umali’s lawyer allegedly prepared.

• After Ragos’ retraction, Dayan testifies: No drug money delivered to De Lima

De Lima has moved to dismiss 1 of her 2 pending drug cases by submitting Ragos’ affidavit in court.

• ‘Zero evidence’: De Lima urges court to dismiss drug case, citing Ragos affidavit