Eagle News) – Ronnie Dayan, the controversial driver-bodyguard of Senator Leila De Lima, said that it was De Lima’s idea to raise and source funds for her then senatorial campaign and that she was the one who instructed him to get money from Kerwin Espinosa.
In the senate inquiry on Monday, December 5, all the witnesses connected to the illegal drug operations and the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Roland Espinosa faced each other, including Dayan, Kerwin Espinosa and Albuera police’s Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.
“Si Senator de Lima may idea na maglikom ng pera,” Dayan said during the senate inquiry Monday, December 5.
He said De Lima told him that funds were needed for her campaign and that she provided him the cellphone number of Kerwin Espinosa so that he could call him up.
“May specific lang na tao na paglilikuman, Sir,” Dayan claimed as he insisted it was only Kerwin Espinosa whom he had money transactions with.
“Si Mr Kerwin Espinosa lang po sir,” he said
“>“Si Kerwin lang talaga?” Senator Manny Pacquiao asked. “Opo Sir,” Dayan replied.
But Pacquiao said that this was hard to believe.
In the senate hearing Monday morning, Dayan also confirmed that he received money from Espinosa at the parking area of Burnham Park in Baguio City. But he said that this happened in 2014.
– Two witnesses claim Espinosa family went to Baguio in November 2015 –
During the questioning however of Senator Pacquiao, two witnesses, one of them a police officer of Baguio City, testified that based on the police investigation, Espinosa visited Baguio City and checked in at the Alexandra Residences in November 2015.
Another witness presented during the Senate hearing, Ram John Michael Espinosa, who claimed that he was the one who checked in the Espinosa family at the Alexandra Residences, also testified that they checked in on November 18, 2015.
– Selective memory-
Pacquiao then asked Dayan why he would claim that the meeting happened in 2014. Dayan said that this was what he remembered. He insisted however that Espinosa and De Lima had indeed met in Burnham Park and that they had their picture taken, along with Espinosa’s wife.
But Dayan could not give the name of the place where he and De Lima stayed during their stay in Baguio City, saying he could not remember it.
This prompted Senator Panfilo Lacson to say that Dayan seemed to have a “selective memory” as he only remembered details of what he only wanted to remember.