Pacquiao: I respect de Lima, but my loyalty is with truth

Senator Manny Pacquiao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

While maintaining his respect for Senator Leila de Lima, neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao said no one could stop him from siding with the truth.

Pacquiao gave this remark on Wednesday when sought for comment if there was a need to use de Lima’s alleged sex videos to prove her purported drug links through her reported former driver, Ronnie Dayan. Dayan had allegedly collected drug money at the New Bilibid Prison for de Lima’s campaign kitty.

“Depende, kung kinakailangan, kung saan papunta ‘yung investigation. Marami rin kasing complaint (It depends if it’s needed and on the course of the investigation. We have been receiving several complaints),” he told reporters .

Asked if he heard about alleged sex videos, Pacquiao said, “May mga picture na pinakita pero hindi natin masabi na confirm o ano, s’ya (de Lima) yun o hindi (I have seen pictures, but I cannot confirm if it’s her or not).”

READ: Alvarez: Nothing wrong if De Lima ‘sex video’ shown in probe

Pressed if the alleged videos were necessary to prove de Lima’s supposed link in the illegal drug trade, the senator reiterated that it would depend on the investigation.

“Basta sa atin e nirerespeto natin ang isa’t isa namin kahit ganun. Ang sa akin ay pino-point ko lang kung ano ang tama (I respect my colleagues despite the issues. But I want the truth to come out),” said Pacquiao, who was one of 16 senators who voted to oust de Lima as chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights investigating the alleged spate of killing in the country.

“Basta kung saan ‘yung tama doon ako. Walang pwedeng pumigil sa akin. Sabi ko sa kanya (de Lima) ang respeto ko sa kanya andyan parin (I am siding with the truth. No one can stop me. I told her that my respect for her remains),” he said.

De Lima’s successor, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II earlier raised the possibility that her alleged sex videos may be presented once proper charges are filed against her.

READ: Aguirre: DOJ may present in court alleged De Lima sex videos

“Malaki ang significance [of the videos] (The videos have a big significance). It will prove how Ronnie Dayan was powerful, why he was able to extract money from the drug lords because an ordinary driver could not do it,” Aguirre said.

But Aguirre said the videos had yet to be submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation for authentication. IDL

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