House reopens NBP probe with Dayan’s arrest

Photo from Marc Cayabyab, INQUIRER.net

With the arrest of Sen. Leila de Lima’s driver and bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, the congressional inquiry into the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the national penitentiary will be reopened soon, Rep. Reynaldo Umali said on Tuesday.

Dayan was turned over to the House of Representatives last night following his arrest for failing to appear at the hearing of the committee on justice last month.

Almost all the convicts who testified in the hearings of the justice committee had implicated Dayan as De Lima’s bagman in the illegal drug trade in New Bilibid Prison (NBP) while she was justice secretary.

Umali, the committee chair, told reporters that the inquiry would resume on Thursday.

“We will give this priority,” Umali said.

Dayan will be under House custody, the Misamis Oriental representative said, until all the questions are answered and “the committee is satisfied.”

Umali said Dayan could be released after his testimony because the “warrant we issued is only to make sure he presents himself before the committee and to answer our questions truthfully.”

“If not truthful, we have to discuss and vote upon if we would hold him in indirect contempt,” Umali said.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman expressed concern that Dayan “might be coerced to testify against those who have been chastised by the administration for involvement in the narcotics trade.”

Dayan will be detained in a conference room at the House Legislative Security Building.

But Umali and House Majority Floor Leader Rudy Fariñas appeared dissatisfied with the room, pointing out some security concerns.

While air-conditioned, the room has only small windows and Dayan would have to be escorted out of the room if he wanted to go to the toilet.