Suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa claimed on Wednesday that Senator Leila de Lima knew about the money that he was giving her through her former driver and bodyguard.
In fact, Espinosa said De Lima even thanked him after he delivered money for her in Baguio City in November, 2015.
“Ang sinabi lang nya (De Lima) sa akin thank you pag sabi ko sa kanya na Ma’am nandun na yung pera kay Ronnie Dayan (She said thank you after I told her the money was already with Ronnie Dayan),” he said, responding to queries of Senator Richard Gordon during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs on the killing of his father, slain Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera town in Leyte province.
“Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa affidavit mo yan? (Why didn’t you say that in your affidavit?),” Gordon asked.
Kerwin was reading his prepared affidavit when he narrated before the committee how he allegedly delivered the P8-million “protection” money to Dayan in separate occasions.
Kerwin Espinosa. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
READ: Kerwin: Ronnie Dayan was my link to De Lima
He said he first delivered to Dayan the P2-million “goodwill money” at a parking lot in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City in August, 2015, and another P1.7 million at a restaurant on Macapagal Avenue in October, 2015.
To make sure the money really went to De Lima, Kerwin asked Dayan to bring with him the senator in their next meeting so he could personally meet her.
Kerwin said the meeting happened sometime in November, 2015. He said Dayan brought him to De Lima at Burnham Park in Baguio City and introduced him to her.
“Bago ko iabot ang pera in-introduced na nya (Dayan) ako. Ma’am si Batman (Before I handed the money, Dayan introduced me to her. ‘Ma’am this is Batman’,” Kerwin said, referring to his codename.
Asked how the De Lima responded to him, Kerwin said, “Tumango lang si Maa’m Leila at ngumiti (She just nodded and smiled).”
After the introduction, Kerwin and Dayan went to the parking lot and gave him the money. They went back to the park and took a picture with the senator, along with Kerwin’s common-law wife.
After the photo-op, Kerwin said he thanked De Lima and told her about the money.
“Nagsabi ako ng thank you Ma’am at yung pera nandun na kay Dayan. Sabi nya naman thank you tapos umalis na kami kasama ko na yung mga anak ko namasyal sa Burnham Park (I just said thank you Ma’am and told her the money was with Dayan. She said thank you then I left together with my common-law wife and my children. We went to Burnham Park for a stroll),” he said. TVJ
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