The hunt for Ronnie Dayan ended before noon on Tuesday in a chase in a rice field in La Union province a month after he snubbed a congressional hearing.
The former driver and bodyguard of Sen. Leila de Lima later told a 20-minute news conference in the House of Representatives that he received money from alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa five times and gave it to De Lima when she was still justice secretary.
On questioning by House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Dayan said he did not know the money was from drugs. He also denied he was involved in drugs.
“I received money from Kerwin. I received money as instructed by Ma’am. She was still justice secretary at the time,” Dayan said.
To tell all
Earlier, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa told reporters that Dayan was “ready to tell all” about allegations he received protection payoffs from drug lords who had turned New Bilibid Prison (NBP) into a multibillion-peso illegal drug operation when De Lima was justice secretary.
“He told me he is going to be a friendly witness to Congress during the hearing to be conducted tomorrow or the following day. He is willing to tell all. Everything that will be asked of him before Congress he will answer based on the truth,” said Dela Rosa, who presented Dayan at a press conference in Camp Crame.
“He will answer them during the House investigation tomorrow, not now. The Congress might say we’re preempting the hearing,” Dela Rosa said.
“Tomorrow, tomorrow, please,” Dayan replied when asked if it was true that he was De Lima’s bagman and if he knew the younger Espinosa, the alleged No. 1 drug lord in Eastern Visayas, who was arrested in Abu Dhabi and was returned to Manila last week.
Dela Rosa said nobody was exerting undue pressure or duress on Dayan.
Dayan was later turned over to the House sergeant at arms, retired Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, and was whisked off to the House.
CAUGHT Ronnie Dayan (right) is captured after a chase by lawmen in San Juan, La Union province. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Dayan said he feared for his life and went into hiding after the House committee issued arrest orders for him for ignoring summons to appear in its investigation of the illegal drug trade in NBP, according to Dela Rosa.
High-profile convicts had testified that Dayan received payoffs for De Lima’s senatorial campaign in exchange for protection.
Dayan, who was not handcuffed, wore a bulletproof vest, white shirt and camouflage shorts when presented to the media. He arrived at 5:40 p.m., accompanied by the La Union police chief, Senior Supt. Leo Francisco.
7-year romance
Francisco said one of the hiding places they looked for Dayan was in Barangay San Gabriel, Bacnotan, La Union.
“We looked for him for six days until we cornered him,” Francisco recounted.
Asked about allegations that he and De Lima had romantic links, he replied, “It’s true, we had a relationship for seven years.”
He said his last contact with De Lima was shortly before the May senatorial election when she called him to thank him for his support. He said he helped in putting up election posters for the senator’s candidacy.
De Lima earlier admitted in a TV interview having an affair with Dayan, citing the “frailties of a woman.”
Dayan said he lived in a hut owned by an uncle of the spouse of a nephew and got his food by planting vegetables such as string beans, which gave him arthritis.
He said his arthritis weakened him and made it difficult to elude policemen.
“Not one. Nobody protected, nobody hid me,” he said.
A police source said the operation to arrest Dayan started at 1 p.m. on Monday at Barangay Lacong in San Gabriel town in La Union, based on information that Dayan had been hiding there.
When Dayan learned that policemen were in hot pursuit, he hid in a forest nearby, according to a police official.
CAPTURED Ronnie Dayan, former driver of Sen. Leila de Lima and her alleged bagman in drug trafficking at New Bilibid Prison, admits his past romantic links with the senator when he was presented in Camp Crame in Quezon City after his capture in La Union province. —LYN RILLON
The operation was suspended at 4 p.m. on Monday and resumed at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, the official said.
Cornered in a rice field
The police nabbed Dayan at 11:30 a.m. The police video clip showed Dayan running through the rice fields. Dayan was later shown wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet being escorted out of the fields.
“He was ready to surrender. He was unarmed, exhausted and very thirsty,” the official said. “The first thing he asked for was water. He was afraid he would be killed.”
The police took Dayan to the La Union police station, but immediately transferred him to Camp Crame.
Dayan’s hiding place was known to his brother, who lives in Bacnotan town, also in La Union, according to the official.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Dayan could pin down De Lima.
“His capture will tie up the loose ends and supply the missing links in the cases before the DOJ (Department of Justice),” Aguirre said in a statement. —WITH REPORTS FROM GABRIEL CARDINOZA, YOLANDA SOTELO, GIL C. CABACUNGAN AND MARLON RAMOS
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