Philippine Senator Leila De Lima in Hot Water, Ex-Lover Bares Use of Drug Money For Elections

By Richard Chiu

Philippine Senator Leila De Lima may be in hot water after her former driver and paramour while she was still Justice Secretary admitted before a Congressional hearing for receiving drug money to help finance her bid for senator.

Ronnie Dayan once detailed by the Justice Department as the driver and close-in security for De Lima  was turned over to Congress after being arrested. Dayan went into hiding following the issuance of a subpoena to appear before the legislative body to shed light on allegations raised against de Lima for getting support from proceeds of the illicit drug trade in the country.

During the congressional hearing that went for eight hours Thursday, Dayan recounted that he acted as the bag man for the campaign 'contribution' personally handed to him by suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa on several  occasions.

Espinosa himself was extradited back to the Philippines and is now in the custody of authorities following his arrest in Abu Dhabi recently. Espinosa, the son of a slain mayor who also was also arrested and jailed for drugs, fled the country with his family to evade the government's intensive crackdown against the illegal drug trade in the country.

Dayan mentioned that he received money five times on different occasions from Espinosa and was responsible for handing it over to De Lima. Dayan also said he was advised by the senator sometime last month to avoid the hearing, proof of which was shown during the hearing in a text message interaction.

De Lima issued a statement after the hearing, denying that she received drug money for the elections and that she will soon present her case

"No woman, whoever or whatever she may be, whether a sitting senator or a humble secretary, deserves to be betrayed, to be treated with so much disrespect and without dignity, before the public eye, by any man she is with or had a relationship with," says De Lima.

De Lima, who was also a former commissioner for human rights in the country before she was appointed as Justice Secretary, said that she will respond to the allegations and charges soon.

Dayan, a married man with children, confessed to having an affair with De Lima for 7 years and a claim that the senator herself admitted previously. Their illicit relationship soured after he alleged they have been constantly quarreling and that the senator has fallen in love with one of her new security aides. 

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