Sen. Leila de Lima and alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa. INQUIRER PHOTOS
Kerwin Espinosa, suspected top drug lord in Eastern Visayas, claimed to have transacted with Ronnie Dayan, the former driver-bodyguard of Senator Leila de Lima, several times from August 2015 until February this year to fund the senatorial campaign of the then Justice Secretary.
Kerwin’s testimony before the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, however, contradicted with Dayan’s statement at the House of Representatives during a press conference on Tuesday night after his arrest.
READ: Pacquiao: Kerwin claims giving P8M ‘protection money’ to De Lima
The Senate committee is looking into the death of Kerwin’s father Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sir. during a police raid inside his cell at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail last Nov. 5.
Dayan said he received money from Kerwin in behalf of De Lima five times in 2014 before he resigned as De Lima’s aide in the same year.
But Kerwin said it was sometime August 2015 when Dayan first communicated with him to ask for “SOP” or protection money worth P2 million monthly. Kerwin bargained and said he could only give P700,000 a month.
He said while he was diving in Anilao, Batangas, Albuera police director Chief Insp. Jovie Espinido called him and told him that the “driver-bodyguard of Ma’am Leila de Lima wants to talk to you.”
“Tumawag sa’kin driver-bodyguard ni Ma’am Leila sa panahon na ’yon. Pagtawag niya sinabi niya na si Ma’am Leila kailangan ng pondo sa 2016 elections,” he said.
After a few hours, Dayan called Kerwin, saying De Lima needs funds for her senatorial campaign. At this point, Kerwin only knows Dayan by his first name “Ronnie.”
“Tumawag sa’kin driver-bodyguard ni Ma’am Leila sa panahon na ’yon. Pagtawag niya sinabi niya na si Ma’am Leila kailangan ng pondo sa 2016 elections. Sabi ko sa driver-bodyguard, pag-iisipan ko muna. Sa amin kasing mga iligalista hindi kami agad agad nakikipagusap lalo na sa mga nasa gobyerno,” he said.
To confirm whether De Lima really wanted to source funds from Kerwin, he called his “boss” and convicted Chinese drug lord Peter Co, currently detained at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
Wrapped in plastic and paper bags, Kerwin handed over to P2 million cash to Dayan, who was then driving a black Fortuner. Kerwin said he did not notice whether Dayan was accompanied by somebody.
“Sinabi sa akin ni Peter Co, “OK, pale (pare). Wala problema sa kanila basta tago mo lang,” he said.
Kerwin also called his another boss and slain suspected drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.
“Sabi ni Jeffrey, OK daw si Ma’am Leila so wala ‘yang problema. Lumipas dalawang araw, tumawag sa’kin ulit ‘yung driver ni Ma’am Leila. Nagpakilala na “Ako ‘yung tumawag sa iyo nung isang araw.’ Sabi ko, ‘OK, sir. Pagusapan natin dapat nating pagusapan.’ So nagumpisa na negosasyon namin,” Kerwin recalled.
He said Dayan agreed but insisted that he still had to give an initial P2 million as “goodwill money.”
Pasay transaction
Two days after talking over the phone, Kerwin personally met with Dayan on the fifth floor of the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) parking building in Pasay City.
Wrapped in plastic and paper bags, Kerwin handed over to P2 million cash to Dayan, who was then driving a black Fortuner. Kerwin said he did not notice whether Dayan was accompanied by somebody.
On October 15, 2015, Kerwin met again with Dayan, who went to the meeting alone, to hand him bundles of cash worth P1.7 million.
This time, Kerwin admitted he became suspicious of Dayan, whether the cash he was giving him was being received by De Lima.
So to prove that he was indeed giving the Kerwin’s cash to De Lima, Dayan asked Kerwin to travel to Baguio and personally meet De Lima. CBB
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