The P1-million bounty raised by businessmen for the speedy arrest of Ronnie Dayan will be given to his relatives.
Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chair Dante Jimenez said it was Dayan’s relatives who gave vital information that led to his arrest Tuesday.
Jimenez, however, opposed giving part of the reward money to the police as this would set a bad precedent because they were doing their job.
After a month and 12 days of surveillance operation, police nabbed Dayan in the middle of a field in San Juan, La Union without resistance, hobbled by arthritis that made running difficult.
The former driver-bodyguard of Sen. Leila de Lima was presented to the House Committee on Justice who took custody of Dayan after undergoing arrest procedures in Camp Crame.
The House committee issued a warrant of arrest against Dayan for ignoring the subpoena issued by the panel in relation to allegations that he collected money from inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) reportedly for the campaign funds of then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who was running for the Senate.
IN THE KNOW
Dayan denied getting money from the NBP inmates saying “gawa-gawa lang nila ‘yon (they just made it up)” but admitted getting money from Kerwin Espinosa five times.
“Inutos ni Ma’am,” pertaining to De Lima, “sunod lang po ako,” Dayan told newsmen during a press conference after he was turned over to the committee when asked why he was getting money from Espinosa.
He did not count the money which he gave directly to De Lima.
At the Senate hearing yesterday, Espinosa detailed how he met Dayan through Albuera, Leyte police chief, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido. Espinosa said he gave De Lima a total of P8 million for her campaign kitty through Dayan. Espinosa said he talked to De Lima in Baguio City in November, 2015 to tell her that he already gave the money to Dayan. Espinosa said they did not talk but took photo of the Burnham Park meeting which was arranged by Dayan.
Dayan also admitted his affair with the lady senator that he said began before she became Justice secretary.
He said the relationship lasted for seven years.
De Lima, in an earlier interview with TV host Winnie Monsod, admitted to having an affair with Dayan which she said lasted for two years.
Dayan’s mother, admitted knowing about the affair.
FICTION
In a statement released at the start of a Senate inquiry on Espinosa’s alleged illegal drug business, De Lima said “it appears Ronnie Dayan has been successfully turned into another one of my accusers by this Administration.”
“Nevertheless, I welcome this as an opportunity to clear my name as soon as all these fiction stories of the underworld are weaved into a complete but grotesque tapestry and finally filed before a court of law where I can properly defend myself, hopefully this time without the fanfare and the drama of my persecution before the media,’’ she said.
“I have consistently challenged my accusers to bring their cases against me before the courts because I was always prepared to prove my innocence before the proper forum. And even as they portrayed Ronnie Dayan as the missing link to their drug conspiracies, his arrest and so-called admissions yesterday present an opportunity for me to put this issue to a close.
“I still hope that the authorities, in the exercise of their duties, act within the bounds of the law, without abusing their powers and using force and intimidation on purported witnesses, including Ronnie Dayan.
“May justice and truth prevail today and the days to come, as we sort out the truth from the lies that are easily weaved into this tall-tale narrative of a human rights and justice advocate turned drug queen.
“Regardless of the Goebel’s playbook they are following, a lie repeatedly told can never become the truth. Instead, the truth revealed will set us all free from this madness that we should stop from becoming our new normal.”
DINNER WITH FAMILY
Far from the stocky physique of a bodyguard, it was a famished, haggard Dayan that was presented by the police to the committee.
But he received a few perks – a haircut, a fried chicken-spaghetti meal, and quality time with his loved ones – since he was taken into custody by the House of Representatives in Quezon City.
Justice Committee Chairman, Oriental Mindoro 2nd district Rep. Reynaldo Umali said Dayan is now being held at the second floor of the House Legislative Security Building where the Sergeant at Arms (SAA) Roland Detabali holds office right across Dayan’s makeshift detention room.
“He is with his family, his wife, and daughter. He has guards inside the room and outside the building,” said Detabli. The family had fried chicken and spaghetti for dinner.
“He has access to television,” Detabali said and Dayan was having a haircut in preparation for today’s House probe while watching the Senate Justice Committee inquiry on TV yesterday.
“The doctor in Congress has checked him up since he still had bruises,” the SAA said.
The post Dayan Relatives to Get P1-M Bounty appeared first on Manila Bulletin.
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