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A RECANTATION DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY ERASE THE EARLIER STATEMENT
Philippine courts generally treat recantations with caution. A witness cannot always make an earlier statement disappear simply by signing a new affidavit that contradicts it.
Investigators and courts compare the two versions. They examine when each was made, whether the witness had personal knowledge, how specific the account was, whether it was voluntary, and whether other evidence supports it.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly warned that recantations can be unreliable because witnesses may be pressured, paid, frightened, or persuaded to change their story. That does not mean every recantation is false. It means the second statement must be tested instead of automatically accepted.
For readers, the practical rule is simple: a changed affidavit creates a credibility problem that investigators must resolve. It is not an eraser.
WHAT TO WATCH
Watch whether Guteza is placed under oath and questioned about both versions, including exactly why he changed his account and who was present when each affidavit was prepared.
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