Dayan maintains statement made to Congress was not true — De Lima lawyer

Ronnie Dayan, the former driver and bodyguard of detained former senator Leila de Lima, maintained Friday that the testimony he made to Congress in 2016 was not true, Atty. Filibon Tacardon said.

During an interview with the media, Tacardon, De Lima’s lawyer, said Dayan finished his testimony at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.

“Isa sa mga highlight is pinatunayan niya na ‘yung kanyang judicial affidavit, kung anong laman ng kanyang judicial affidavit, ay pawang mga katotohanan lamang,” Tacardon said.

(One of the highlights is he proved that his judicial affidavit, the contents of his judicial affidavit, is completely true.)

“At ang naging epekto nga ay sinasabi niya na ang mga salaysay niya noon sa Kongreso at ‘yung kanyang sinumpaang salaysay na sinumite rin sa Kongreso noon ay pawang mga kasinungalingan at walang mga katotohanan,” he added.

(The effect is that his statements to Congress and the sworn statement he submitted to Congress were completely false.)

Dayan previously said that his earlier statements where he claimed to have transported illegal drug money for De Lima were made “under duress” and without the benefit of counsel.

According to Tacardon, former Bureau of Corrections official Rafael Ragos, as well as some members of the media, may be summoned by the court.

“Nabanggit niya (Dayan) na merong salaysay si Rafael Ragos na binabawi ‘yung akusasyon laban sa kanya at ipinakita niya sa ating huwes ‘yung salaysay ni Rafael Ragos at dahil dito malamang mapapatawag si Rafael Ragos bilang testigo ng mga akusado sa kaso,” he said.

(Dayan mentioned that Rafael Ragos recanted his statements and he showed the affidavit of Ragos to the judges and because of this, Ragos may be called to testify.)

Ragos and self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa have recanted their allegations against De Lima. Both had also apologized to the former senator.

Tacardon said the next hearing will be on September 30 and October 28.

Despite this, he said they will still persevere to finish the case within the year when asked about the time between the hearings.

“I think we’re still on court kasi ‘yung mga susunod na testigo ay maiksi lang naman ang kanilang mga— tingin ko magiging salaysay so we will still push na makuha naman ‘yung aming timeline at magkaroon ng resolusyon ‘yung kaso na ito sa loob ng taon na ito,” he said.

(I think we’re still on court because the following testimonies will be short, I think, so we will still push to get the timeline and to resolve the case within the year.)

In February 2017, the DOJ filed three separate drug cases in court against De Lima in connection with her alleged participation in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. One of the charges was junked by the court in February last year.

She has been detained in Camp Crame since February 2017. 

Tacardon said De Lima is spending her fifth birthday while in detention on Saturday.

“She’s okay. Binati naman namin siya sa kanyang birthday bukas. Patuloy ‘yung kanyang paninidigan at paglaban at para mapatunayan siya ay inosente sa mga akusasyon laban sa kanya,” he said.

(She’s okay. We greeted her a happy birthday for tomorrow. She continues to fight to prove her innocence.)

Asked by reporters for her birthday wish after the hearing, De Lima said: “As always, freedom and vindication. Soon!”—AOL, GMA News