De Lima: No gov't fund used in helping Dayan acquire property

Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday confirmed that she helped Ronnie Dayan, her former driver-bodyguard, acquire a property in Pangasinan, but clarified the money she gave him did not reach P2 million as he had claimed.

De Lima, who allegedly benefitted from the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary, also said the money she gave Dayan came from her own savings when she was still in private law practice.

"Alam mo noon kasi that was before I joined public service. Noong nagpagawa siya niyan, nag-contribute lang po ako by tranches," De Lima told reporters.

"Pero imposible po na P2 million at tulong ko lang po iyon. Ganoon po ako. Walang government [funds na involved]," she added.

De Lima had earlier admitted having had a relationship with Dayan. Dayan, for his part, said their affair lasted for seven years.

During his testimony at the House of Representatives last week, Dayan said he acquired his Pangasinan house and property in 2007 through his own savings and financial help from De Lima, who was then Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, worth P2 million.

"Ang totoo ay noong 2007, humingi ako kay Ma'am ng P120,000.00 pambili nung lupa. Sa pagtayo ng bahay, nasa P800,000 ang naggaling sa ipon ko at yung P2,000,000.00 galing kay m'am," said Dayan.

De Lima joined government service in May 2008 when she was appointed by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Commission on Human Rights chair. Before that, she was a private election lawyer, having clients like incumbent Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

From the CHR, De Lima was appointed DOJ secretary in 2010. She won the senatorial race last May.

Earlier reports claimed Dayan lived in a two-storey "white house" in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan. He also allegedly owned an orange bungalow located about 100 meters from the white house.

GMA News earlier tracked down the two houses that allegedly belong to Dayan, but only managed to confirm the ownership of one of the houses, the white one.

Records at the Municipal Assessor's Office listed Dayan's sibling as the owner of the white house. The other house had no title. —KBK, GMA News