Senator Leila de Lima on Monday called on her former bodyguard Ronnie Dayan and drug lord Kerwin Espinosa to tell the truth amid their accusations of her links to illegal drugs.
鈥淣ag a-appeal ako magsabi kayo ng totoo鈥� hindi totoong magkakilala kayo at tumatanggap ako, etc (I鈥檓 appealing that you tell the truth鈥� it鈥檚 not true that you know each other and that I receive money, etc),鈥� De Lima told the Senate hearing looking into the death of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa.
Kerwin Espinosa claimed that he had sent protection money to De Lima through Dayan in the past. Both had conflicting statements, however.
鈥淭hese are very serious, very glaring, very irreconcilable versions of your stories about me knowing you, Mr. Espinosa,鈥� de Lima said.
She insisted that Dayan and Espinosa did not know each other.
鈥淭here can鈥檛 be any conversation between Ronnie and Kerwin because they don鈥檛 know each other,鈥� she said.
鈥淎ng sarap sana i-cross examine kayo (Cross examining you would be enjoyable) but I鈥檓 avoiding that. May opportunity ang handlers niyo; makikita ang line of questioning (Your handlers would have an opportunity; the line of questioning would be obvious). Cross examining you, Mr. Espinosa, would be a cross-examiner鈥檚 dream,鈥� she also added.
Photos on Facebook that showed Espinosa and his partner with De Lima were taken in November last year, the senator said.
鈥淎fter I filed my COC (certificate of candidacy), I went to Baguio in November 2015. Magagaling ang handlers niyo, nalalaman nila kung kailan ako nagpunta (Your handlers are excellent, they know when I went there),鈥� she added.
鈥淚 know there鈥檚 a reason why you鈥檙e pointing to me. I forgive all of you鈥� Ginagamit kayo para siraan ako (They are using you to ruin my reputation). I will know in due time who they are,鈥� De Lima said. JE/rga