‘WITNESS NOT COERCED’

De Lima told DOJ staff to put millions in Dayan’s bank account —Aguirre

Senator Leila De Lima had ordered an employee of the Department of Justice to deposit millions of pesos into the bank account of Ronnie Dayan, her former driver who President Rodrigo Duterte said collected money for her from convicted drug lords inside the New Bilibid Prison.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III made the allegation after some newspapers reported that two DOJ receiving clerks, identified as Jonathan “Jong” Caranto and Edna “Bogs” Obuyes, executed affidavits stating that De Lima asked them to deposit millions of pesos into a bank account.

Aguirre said Dayan owned the bank account.

“Binibigyan daw siya ng pera ni De Lima para i-deposit sa account ni Dayan,” Aguirre told reporters in an ambush interview.

Aguirre denied De Lima’s claims that the two employees were forced to execute the sworn statements.

“Mayroong affidavit at tsaka walang pumilit sa kanila…As a matter of fact, pumayag pa mag lie detector test ang dalawa,” Aguirre said.

ALSO READ: DOJ Sec. Aguirre, pananagutin ni De Lima ‘sa tamang panahon’

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier accused De Lima of having an affair with Dayan, who also allegedly collected money from drug lords inside the NBP in Muntinlupa.

Both De Lima and Dayan figured in Duterte’s drug matrix that supposedly detailed the network of government officials and suspected drug lords.

De Lima has repeatedly denied being involved in protecting drug dealers detained at the NBP.

Asked if the amount of deposits would commensurate the employees’ salaries, Aguirre said: “Hindi. Maliit lang ang sahod sa kanilang dalawa.”

The DOJ chief said the department was still looking into how the bank account, which was not under De Lima’s name,  could be linked to the senator.

De Lima had admitted that the two mentioned individuals were her former staff but claimed that they were coerced to executive affidavits in a bid to pin her down.

ALSO READ: DOJ chief seeks to allow wiretapping at Bilibid

“The alleged existence of accounts, that is a fabrication. I don’t think those two would have those accounts, instant millionaires nga sila,” De Lima said.

The senator suspected that the move was connected to the pending investigation of the House of Representatives on the alleged proliferation of drugs inside the NBP during De Lima’s term as DOJ chief.

“Ano ba yan? Dahil sa House inquiry, siguro nagpa-panic na sila. They have nothing. So ngayon, binibilisan na nila yung pag-fabricate, pag manufacture ng evidence na ‘yan,” De Lima said.

source: GMA NEWS