Rafael Ragos, the former acting director of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), has died, his family announced Tuesday.

The cause of death was not disclosed.

Ragos gained prominence as a key witness against then-Senator Leila de Lima, whom he accused of being involved in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.

He testified in 2016 that he had delivered P10 million to De Lima’s house.

However, Ragos recanted his testimony in 2022, stating that he was coerced by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Ragos claimed he had received death threats after refusing to continue implicating De Lima.

De Lima was a vocal critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

She was imprisoned for seven years before being acquitted of the charges. She is now a partylist representative.