MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Ronnie Dayan, the controversial driver-bodyguard of Senator Leila de Lima, is now back in Pangasinan after the Senate lifted its order citing him for contempt for humanitarian reasons.
Senator Panfilo Lacson who talked to Dayan before he was allowed to leave the Senate premises Monday night said Dayan had promised he would attend the next Senate hearings.
“After listening to him [Dayan], for purely humanitarian reason, and his commitment to be just a call away, as well as a pledge to attend the next hearing, we let him go,” Lacson said.
Lacson said Dayan was allowed to go home to Pangasinan to see his other children and family members, after a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III, Committee on Rules chairman, Senator. Gregorio Honasan and Senator Manny Pacquiao, who had earlier moved to cite Dayan in contempt.
The senators understood that Dayan had been so stressed out since he was arrested by the policemen in La Union.
“Since then wala pa siyang pahinga kaya medyo magulo,” Lacson said in an interview.
“We advised Dayan to compose himself and rest his mind so he can remember the events he needed to recall in relation to the ongoing legislative investigations. Para maalala ang dapat maalala,” he said.
The senator said that this was the “proper approach” to “reboot his memory” since Dayan was already very confused.
During the senate hearing, Dayan, for instance remembered that he had received money from former Bureau of Prisons Director Franklin Bucayu and former National Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Rafael Ragos.
“May inamin siyang naalala niya. So we deemed it wise to give him some more space, some more time, to really compose himself and think of even na nalimutan niya.”
