Kerwin stands by testimony despite conflicting details with Dayan’s – lawyer

Alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa stands by his testimony against Senator Leila de Lima, his lawyer said Friday, despite the conflicting details compared with the testimony of Ronnie Dayan.

In a television interview, lawyer Leilani Villarino said they will present on Monday, December 5, a witness that would corroborate Kerwin’s earlier statement that he met De Lima and his driver and alleged bagman, Dayan, in Baguio City on November 2015.

“Meron kaming corroborative witness specifically na yung time sa Baguio, nandoon sila nung November 2015…Wala po siya nung nagbigay nung pera pero alam niya,” Villarino told GMA News TV's News To Go.

Dayan earlier testified before a House committee hearing that he received drug money from Kerwin, for five times in 2014. He said he had already resigned as De Lima's driver in 2015.

Villarino, meanwhile, argued that De Lima, then secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), would not have collected drug money from Kerwin way before the senatorial elections.

“Ito yung stand ni Kerwin eh, ‘yung money na binigay kay Senator De Lima, that was supposedly to fund the campaign for the election bid of then-Secretary De Lima. Paano magco-collect ng 2014 eh nag-declare si Senator De Lima na tatakbo siya eh August 2015?” she said.

“Siya yung nagbigay, malaki yung pera. Imposibleng makalimutan daw niya at sigurado siya na 2015 ‘yun. He stands by his testimony, he stands by his declaration sa testimony niya. Walang nagbago doon,” Villarino added.

According to Espinosa, he gave around P8 million for De Lima’s election campaign through Dayan.

Espinosa said he was introduced to Dayan through Albuera police head Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido. He said it was Espenido who called him in August 2015, saying that Dayan wanted to talk to him.

Dayan, however, denied knowing Espenido and said that De Lima knew Espinosa.

Villarino said their camp is already verifying the link between Espenido and Dayan.

“Meron naman kaming mga facts na vine-verify to prove na totoo yung sinasabi ni Kerwin,” she said.

Espinosa and Dayan are both scheduled to appear before the Senate public order committee hearing on Monday.

De Lima, for her part, earlier said that the credibility of both Espinosa and Dayanare already “destroyed” after the glaring inconsistencies in their testimonies.

“When they suddenly change their respective versions to corroborate each other, that’s too late for them to correct that,” she said. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ, GMA News