Palace: Dayan’s arrest first step to truth about Bilibid drugs

Assistant Communications Secretary Marie Banaag. SCREENGRAB FROM RTV MALACAñANG VIDEO

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Ronnie Dayan, the former security aide of Sen. Leila de Lima who was accused of collecting drug payoffs for her.

“We hope that Mr. Dayan’s arrest would lead to the uncovering of truth in the proliferation of drugs in (the New Bilibid Prison) and for the guilty to be punished,” Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said in a statement.

“We owe this to the future generation of Fillipinos to have a drug-free society,” she said.

Dayan was reportedly arrested by a composite team of policemen in La Union on Tuesday noon.

He has been held in contempt by the House committee on justice for his failure to attend  its inquiry into the illegal drug trade inside the state penitentiary.

President Duterte and several NBP inmates named Dayan as De Lima’s bagman who supposedly received protection money from drug lords which she supposedly used to bankroll her Senate run.

De Lima, the most vocal critic of Mr. Duterte’s ruthless drug war, has vehemently denied the allegations and accused the President of persecuting her.  SFM/rga