(Eagle News)– Senator Leila de Lima’s former aide Ronnie Dayan is set to execute his affidavit on his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chair of the House justice committee which ordered Dayan’s arrest, said he will be assisted by lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).
“We have given Dayan an opportunity to select a lawyer out of his personal choice pero as of this morning, wala pa rin. So we informed him that we requested the IBP to assist him and he seems amenable to the lawyer to be provided,” Umali said in a press conference.
Lawyers Manny Buenaventura and Abet Reyes would serve as Dayan’s legal counsels.
Dayan was transferred to the House of Representatives Tuesday night after he was arrested in La Union that morning.
Dayan claimed receiving money from alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, on behalf of De Lima. He said he did not know how much money was handed to him, and he would just place it inside the senator’s car.
Several inmates of NBP testified during a House inquiry that Dayan collected drug money from drug lords and other inmates for De Lima’s senatorial campaign.
De Lima has repeatedly denied receiving any drug money.