Aguirre: Dayan not telling the whole truth

Vitaliano Aguirre —INQUIRER PHOTO

The former driver and lover of Sen. Leila de Lima is not telling the whole truth, according to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Ronnie Dayan on Thursday testified before Congress on how he was ordered by De Lima to collect money from Visayas-based drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

Dayan, however, denied allegations he was De Lima’s bagman for the funds given by drug convicts inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“I think he is still hiding a lot of information. I do not know for what reason,” Aguirre told reporters in a phone interview on Friday.

Aguirre said he would try to convince Dayan to tell the whole truth during his interview for the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

He said Dayan would be asked to issue another statement which would be subject of review to determine if he was qualified to be part of the government’s WPP.

Dayan is set to be interviewed and his statement evaluated next week, the earliest on Tuesday.

Aguirre believes Dayan does not want to make a confession out of fear.

“But if the WPP could talk to him and explain about the possibility of an immunity, perhaps he will change his mind,” Aguirre said.

Dayan is given provisional status under the WPP. His full admission will depend on his new affidavit.

Aguirre maintains that Dayan’s testimony is material in the pending cases before the DOJ and downplays inconsistencies in his testimony before the congressional inquiry.

“Not all inconsistencies will disqualify you as witness. As a matter of fact, the Supreme Court itself ruled in many instances that inconsistencies is proof that one is telling the truth,” Aguirre said./rga