Dirty money handovers? ‘Lies,’ De Lima says

Senator Leila de Lima on Friday dismissed as "lies" the court testimony of a National Bureau of Investigation intelligence agent alleging he witnessed two deliveries of illegally sourced money at the lawmaker's house in 2012. 

De Lima's former aide, Ronnie Dayan, even told intel agent and prosecution witness Jovencio Ablen Jr., "Sinungaling ka, sir," when the latter identified him as the person who directly received the money from former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos.

During the resumption of De Lima and Dayan's trial on drug charges at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205, Ablen testified that he accompanied Ragos in delivering "quota" or illegally sourced money to De Lima's house in Parañaque.

He said he personally saw a bundle of P1,000 bills inside a black bag that Ragos handed to Dayan on Nov. 24, 2012, a scene he said he saw from his spot standing outside Ragos' parked car near the former Justice chief's residence.

He said Ragos told him the bag contained P5 million. He also said he saw De Lima at the entrance of her house that day.

While he said he did not see the contents of a plastic bag Ragos gave Dayan on Dec. 15, 2012, he said he thought it also contained money.

Ragos was originally accused of involvement in the drug case, but prosecutors dropped him from the charge sheet. De Lima has since asked the court to reinstate him as an accused.

'Connecting tissue'

Ablen's testimony was the "connecting tissue" to establish that Ragos did deliver money to De Lima's house, said Darwin Cañete, a government prosecutor.

He did not categorically identify the "quota" their witness referred to as drug money, saying the "testimony will speak for itself."

Asked if there was proof the cash was deposited to any bank account linked to the senator, he said, "Hindi pa material 'yung accounts at this point," and that other evidence will be shown in time.

De Lima's lawyers will only be able to cross-examine Ablen on March 22, as they had prepared to ask questions to another witness who ended up not being able to go to Friday's hearing due to a death in the family.

"Alam mo ang kasinungalingan, it will remain na kasinungalingan," said Filibon Tacardon, one of the senator's lawyers, told reporters after the hearing.

"And we intend really to rebut these wild and malicious accusations of delivery during our cross-examination," he added.

At the courtroom, a tense exchange between Dayan and Ablen marked the hearing: after Dayan called the witness a liar, the agent said: "Magsama tayo sa impyerno."

“Mauna ka," Dayan replied.

Dayan is De Lima's co-accused in one of the three criminal cases she faces in connection with her alleged involvement in the New Bilibid Prison illegal drug trade.

She has been detained for two years on charges she has repeatedly denied. — RSJ, GMA News