Sen. Leila de Lima and alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. INQUIRER PHOTOS
Kerwin Espinosa, suspected top drug lord in Eastern Visayas, claimed to have transacted with Ronnie Dayan, the former driver-bodyguard of Senator Leila de Lima, several times from August 2015 until February this year to fund the senatorial campaign of the then Justice Secretary.
Kerwin鈥檚 testimony before the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, however, contradicted with Dayan鈥檚 statement at the House of Representatives during a press conference on Tuesday night after his arrest.
搁贰础顿:听Pacquiao: Kerwin claims giving P8M 鈥榩rotection money鈥� to De Lima
The Senate committee is looking into the death of Kerwin鈥檚 father Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sir. during a police raid inside his cell at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail last Nov. 5.
Dayan said he received money from Kerwin in behalf of De Lima five times in 2014 before he resigned as De Lima鈥檚 aide in the same year.
But Kerwin said it was sometime August 2015 when Dayan first communicated with him to ask for 鈥淪OP鈥� or protection money worth P2 million monthly. Kerwin bargained and said he could only give P700,000 a month.
He said while he was diving in Anilao, Batangas, Albuera police director Chief Insp. Jovie Espinido called him and told him that the 鈥渄river-bodyguard of Ma鈥檃m Leila de Lima wants to talk to you.鈥�
鈥淭umawag sa鈥檏in driver-bodyguard ni Ma鈥檃m Leila sa panahon na 鈥檡on. Pagtawag niya sinabi niya na si Ma鈥檃m Leila kailangan ng pondo sa 2016 elections,鈥� he said.
After a few hours, Dayan called Kerwin, saying De Lima needs funds for her senatorial campaign. At this point, Kerwin only knows Dayan by his first name 鈥淩onnie.鈥�
鈥淭umawag sa鈥檏in driver-bodyguard ni Ma鈥檃m Leila sa panahon na 鈥檡on. Pagtawag niya sinabi niya na si Ma鈥檃m Leila kailangan ng pondo sa 2016 elections. Sabi ko sa driver-bodyguard, pag-iisipan ko muna. Sa amin kasing mga iligalista hindi kami agad agad nakikipagusap lalo na sa mga nasa gobyerno,鈥� he said.
To confirm whether De Lima really wanted to source funds from Kerwin, he called his 鈥渂oss鈥� and convicted Chinese drug lord Peter Co, currently detained at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
Wrapped in plastic and paper bags, Kerwin handed over to P2 million cash to Dayan, who was then driving a black Fortuner. Kerwin said he did not notice whether Dayan was accompanied by somebody.
鈥淪inabi sa akin ni Peter Co, 鈥淥K, pale (pare). Wala problema sa kanila basta tago mo lang,鈥� he said.
Kerwin also called his another boss and slain suspected drug lord Jeffrey 鈥淛aguar鈥� Diaz.
鈥淪abi ni Jeffrey, OK daw si Ma鈥檃m Leila so wala 鈥榶ang problema. Lumipas dalawang araw, tumawag sa鈥檏in ulit 鈥榶ung driver ni Ma鈥檃m Leila. Nagpakilala na 鈥淎ko 鈥榶ung tumawag sa iyo nung isang araw.鈥� Sabi ko, 鈥極K, sir. Pagusapan natin dapat nating pagusapan.鈥� So nagumpisa na negosasyon namin,鈥� Kerwin recalled.
He said Dayan agreed but insisted that he still had to give an initial P2 million as 鈥済oodwill money.鈥�
Pasay transaction聽
Two days after talking over the phone, Kerwin personally met with Dayan on the fifth floor of the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) parking building in Pasay City.
Wrapped in plastic and paper bags, Kerwin handed over to P2 million cash to Dayan, who was then driving a black Fortuner. Kerwin said he did not notice whether Dayan was accompanied by somebody.
On October 15, 2015, Kerwin met again with Dayan, who went to the meeting alone, to hand him bundles of cash worth P1.7 million.
This time, Kerwin admitted he became suspicious of Dayan, whether the cash he was giving him was being received by De Lima.
So to prove that he was indeed giving the Kerwin鈥檚 cash to De Lima, Dayan asked Kerwin to travel to Baguio and personally meet De Lima.聽CBB
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