A former police general of the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is the latest government witness to recant his allegations against former Senator Leila de Lima.

According to De Lima's counsel Atty. Filibon Tacardo, former police Brig. Gen. Jerry Valeroso submitted a "letter of intent to recant" his testimony against De Lima in connection with her drug trading charges.

Valeroso submitted his Letter of Intent to Recant to Judge Gener Gito of Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206.

In his letter dated 18 December 2023, Valeroso said he decided to recant his testimony to "set free all accused who were wrongfully charged in court" and to "disclose the real truthfulness that the criminal complaints against accuses are pure hearsay and full of lies."

"Because I was disturbed by my conscience, I planned to recant in early 2019. However, due to fearing for my life and the safety of my family and loved one, I lost the guts to do so," part of the letter read.

Valeroso expressed his intent to submit an official affidavit of recantation upon consulting with his lawyer. He had earlier testified that he had seen De Lima, then Justice secretary, attending Herbert Colangco's concert, a convicted drug lord, at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, among other allegations.

De Lima, currently out on bail after almost seven years in detention, is facing the last of three drug trading charges after the first two cases were dismissed.

Earlier, other prosecution witnesses have retracted their claims against the former senator, including former Bilibid inmates and the former chief of the Bureau of Corrections.

The court handling De Lima's case recently granted a petition by some inmates at the Sablayan penal farm in Occidental Mindoro to be moved back to Bilibid, after they expressed their intent to recant their allegations against her.