The government has so far built a strong case against Senator Leila de Lima for allegedly benefiting from illegal drug operations even without the testimonies of her former driver Ronnie Dayan and suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.
De Lima, however, refuses to resign and turned the tables on those calling for her resignation by saying that they should be the one resigning and not her. The call for De Lima’s resignation mounted after she admitted her relationship with Dayan during an interview with “Bawal Pasaway” television host Solita Monsod.
“Desisyon ko yun. Walang pwedeng pumilit sa akin dun, (That’s my decision. Nobody can force me to do that),” De Lima told reporters in an interview. “No one can judge me on my morality, you know,” De Lima further stressed.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III, concurrent chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, said his seven-member committee needs a formal complaint against sitting Sen. Leila de Lima before undertaking a formal probe for alleged immorality.
“I have the discretion that I can investigate her but I won’t out of courtesy,” he added.
In the House hearing by the Subcommittee on Correctional Reforms, Superintendent Francisco Ebreo of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, who led the fact-finding probe into the supposed riot inside the New Bilibid prisons that resulted in the death of drug lord Tony Co, testified that convict Tomas Doniña had admitted stabbing high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian to stop him from testifying against De Lima over the proliferation of illegal drugs in the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said they have gathered “sufficient” testimonial evidence against De Lima but we’ll still welcome any additional information from the two possible witnesses.
Kerwin Espinosa, son of slain Albuera, Leyte, Mayor Ronald Espinosa, is expected to be repatriated back to the country today following his arrest in Abu Dhabi while Dayan, the alleged bagman of De Lima, is still being hunted down by authorities.
“Even without Ronnie Dayan, even without Kerwin Espinosa, I think it is very strong especially now that Senator De Lima admitted her relationship – her illicit relationship with Ronnie Dayan. Malaki ang pinagbago ‘nun,” Aguirre said in a Palace press briefing.
“We were offering the protection of the WPP to Kerwin Espinosa, even to Ronnie Dayan, as long as they are cooperative and that they will be qualified to be accepted, to be admitted under our Witness Protection Program,” he said.
He noted that Dayan, the former lover of De Lima, is supposedly being protected by some public officials in northern Luzon provinces such as Pangasinan and Baguio. A P1-million reward has been offered by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) for information leading to the arrest of Dayan.
Upon Espinosa’s return to the country, Aguirre said he would be temporarily detained at the custodial center in Camp Crime.
The justice secretary has also written to PNP chief Gen. Ronald dela Rosa about the willingness of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to provide assistance in providing protective custody for Espinosa. He said they will also send prosecutors and NBI agents to assist in the investigation in view of Espinosa’s wish to be placed under the witness protection program.
De Lima said admitting her relationship with Dayan is not at all proof she benefited from the drug trade.
“That’s not at all proof. What’s the connection with that? Assuming lang, na totoong may bagman, assuming lang. Assuming yung kasinungalingan nila na ako raw ay involved through a bagman, kailangan ba may romantic relationship with a bagman?” she said.
PRISON RIOT PROBE
According to the October 8 affidavit of Doniña, he said a former colleague from the Philippine Navy asked him to silence and kill Sebastian to prevent him from testifying against De Lima who purportedly received P10 million from the convict.
Ebreo also clarified that based on their investigation, what happened on September was not a riot, but two separate, simultaneous stabbing attacks inside the makeshift room of Co and at the mess hall area, that left Co dead and Sebastian, Vicente Sy, Peter Co, and Clarence Dongail wounded.
He said inmates Dongail, Edgar Sinco, and Doniña may be held liable for the incident – Dongail for Co’s death and for the injuries of Peter Co and Vicente Sy; Sinco for the injuries sustained by Peter Co; and Doniña for the injuries sustained by Sebastian.
The post De Lima Won’t Resign Despite DOJ’s Claim of a Strong Case Against her appeared first on Manila Bulletin.
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...