(UPDATE) SEVEN persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who stood as witnesses in the pending drug case against former senator Leila de Lima have signified their intention to retract their testimonies.

'At this point, we would like to state that our participation as witnesses in the drug cases against former Justice Secretary de Lima was vitiated by undue compulsion and influence, and thus, any judicial statement made by us, is void [due to] lack of consent,' the witnesses said in a signed letter addressed to the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 206 dated Nov. 17, 2023.