Speaker defends questions on De Lima-Dayan affair: It’s necessary to show she’s a ‘serial liar’

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has come to the defense of congressmen who zeroed in on Senator Leila de Lima’s affair with her former driver and bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, in what was supposed to be a legislative inquiry on the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) last week.

In a radio interview Monday, Alvarez said questions on De Lima’s personal life were necessary to “demolish” her credibility and image as an upright lawmaker.

“Siyempre gusto nating patunayan na itong taong ito ay talagang nagsisinungaling. Itong taong ito ay isang serial liar. Kailangan i-prisinta mo sa taong bayan yung kabuuan ng kanyang personalidad, kung anong klaseng tao siya,” he said.

The Speaker said his colleagues had to press Dayan for details about his seven-year affair with De Lima because his credibility needed to be tested. 

“Yung witnesses, talagang sina-subject mo iyan sa iba’t ibang klaseng katanungan upang sa ganoon ay makikita mo kung consistent ba o hindi,” he said.

Based on the hearings conducted by the House justice committee, Alvarez said it was clear that De Lima took advantage of her employees such as Dayan and former security aide Joenel Sanchez.

“Kagaya halimbawa ni Dayan, ginamit niya (De Lima) na tagatanggap ng pera, tiga-kuha ng pera. Si Joenel ganoon din, ginamit din niya, nagkaroon din siya ng relasyon doon,” he said.

In his testimony, Dayan admitted to receiving money from suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa for De Lima five times in 2014. De Lima has repeatedly denied any involvement in the illegal drug trade as well as receiving drug money.

On Alvarez' accusation that she is a ‘serial liar,’ De Lima has branded the House leader as ‘narrow-minded.’

More interested in love affair?

At the recent House heraing, lawmakers appeared to be more interested in the details of his affair with De Lima, asking him to describe the “intensity” of their feelings for one another and pressing him about the details of their breakup.

The personal questions asked during the congressional inquiry have drawn flak from De Lima’s colleagues in the Senate, with Sen. Risa Hontiveros saying the House "hit a lowest of the low" with the hearing.

While acknowledging his colleagues went overboard with the questions asked to Dayan, Alvarez appealed for understanding since congressmen are just humans.

“[M]edyo may konting hindi tama doon. Kaya lang siyempre, unawain din natin, na doon sa sitwasyon na yun, ay tao rin naman yung mga Congressman, minsan nakakalimot,” he said.

As to the inconsistencies of Dayan and Espinosa’s testimony at an earlier Senate hearing, Alvarez said  De Lima’s driver might be hiding some details on the advice of his lawyers to lessen his criminal liability.

The Speaker said it is now up to the Department of Justice to decide whether Dayan should be admitted into the Witness Protection Program (WPP) because of his testimony at the House hearing. — RSJ, GMA News