DRIVER’S HOUSE Neighbors of Ronnie Dayan, driver of Sen. Leila de Lima, are keeping mum about President Duterte’s allegation that this house in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan province, was a gift to Dayan from the senator. RAY B. ZAMBRANO/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Let’s put aside the issue of former Justice secretary and now Sen. Leila de Lima having her driver for a lover because that’s her personal affair and none of our business.
But how could her driver, Ronnie Palisoc Dayan, afford to build a concrete, newly painted two-story house on a government employee’s salary?
How could Dayan also build two bungalows for his married children?
The white-and-red house sits on a sprawling lot with four motorcycles and a truck parked in the compound.
One of the bungalows has a sport utility vehicle parked in the garage.
De Lima was not a multimillionaire when she was appointed justice secretary so she couldn’t have had the money to buy Dayan three houses.
READ: Sandra Cam: De Lima’s driver frequented Bilibid for drug money
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If President Digong’s charge that the houses were built from payoffs from convicted drug lords at New Bilibid Prison, then De Lima is really in a deep rut.
Her only defense, perhaps, is to deny that she and Dayan were lovers and she didn’t know about his racket when he was driving for her.
But then Dayan’s neighbors in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan province, told the Inquirer she was always seen in the two-story house with Dayan.
READ: PNP to look into activities of De Lima’s driver
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Director Jeremy Barns and Assistant Director Ana Labrador of the National Museum have allegedly been lobbying for their retention.
They have been seen in Davao City, where President Digong stays most of the time, reportedly trying to follow up their reappointment.
For the information of the President, sometime in 2013, I exposed the alleged mismanagement of the National Museum’s fund involving some P300 million.
The amount was transferred from Land Bank, a government depository, to private banks Banco de Oro and Bank of the Philippine Islands by Barns as supported by Labrador.
I’m surprised why they were not dismissed by the previous administration.
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A clash looms between Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez and Customs Commissioner Nick Faeldon over the latter’s appointment of a deputy commissioner.
Faeldon appointed customs collector Arnel Alcaraz as acting deputy commissioner for enforcement without the approval of Dominguez.
As finance secretary, Dominguez has supervisory powers over the two biggest revenue agencies of government—the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Faeldon’s move is uncharacteristic of a former officer of the Philippine Marines where subordinates regard their superiors with utmost deference. TVJ
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