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[av_heading heading=’Dayan admits getting from Espinosa cash for de Lima ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Ronnie Dayan confessed that Leila de Lima tasked him to get money from alleged Eastern Visayas drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr. when the senator was still Justice secretary.
De Lima ordered him to meet with Espinosa five times, Dayan — also the senator’s ex-driver/bodyguard and lover — on Thursday told a House committee on justice inquiry into the proliferation of drugs in the New Bilibid Prison.
“Meron po akong natanggap na pera mula kay Kerwin Espinosa para kay Senator de Lima,” he said. “Mga five times po (akong inutusan). Ang perang iniabot sa akin ay hindi ko po binibilang at hindi rin sinasabi ni Kerwin kung magkano iyon.”
He added: “Basta sabi niya (Espinosa), ‘Ito na iyong pera para kay Ma’am (de Lima).’ Siya mismo ang nag-aabot sa akin, kinukuha ko, nilalagay ko sa harapan ng upuan ng sasakyan. Hindi ko po alam na pera iyon dahil hindi ko po sinisilip, sinasalat lang.”
But a detail of the supposed meet-up was contrary to what Espinosa told a Senate inquiry on Wednesday. Dayan insisted the meeting happened in 2014, while Espinosa claimed it was in 2015.
Dayan narrated that the first four meetings with Espinosa in August, October and November in 2014 were at SM Mall of Asia parking in Pasay City, while the last happened on Nov. 19, 2014 in Baguio City.
“Itine-text na lang ako o sinasabihan ako ni Ma’am, ‘Punta ka sa ganito, magkikita kayo ulit ni ano…” ganoon. Mag-isa lang po ako kapag mini-meet ko po si Kerwin. Si Kerwin po mismo ang nag-aabot noong pera,” Dayan said.
“Inaabot ko ang mga ito kay Ma’am pagdating sa bahay sa mismong kuwarto,” he added. “Automatic na po iyan kasi ’pag mga ganoong … parang masasabi natin na sikreto, hindi ko po inaakyat sa office niya. Sa bahay na lang.”
But Dayan denied involvement in the Bilibid drug trade. He claimed he never saw the inmates implicating him.
“Iyong mga nagdadawit sa akin sa droga, hindi ko pa sila nakikita,” Dayan said. “Wala akong natatanggap na pera sa kanila. Kay Kerwin lang.”
Police officers from La Union and Pangasinan and the Crime Investigation and Detection Group-La Union arrested Dayan around 11:30 am. on Tuesday, Nov. 22 in Sitio Turod, Barangay San Felipe, San Juan, La Union.
Dayan was cited for contempt for failing to attend previous House inquiries.
Earlier President Rodrigo Duterte accused de Lima and Dayan of masterminding the drug trade in Bilibid. Prisoners who testified before the House and de Lima’s security aide Joenel Sanchez further dragged the two into the issue./PN
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