It was Senator Leila de Lima’s idea to collect money from suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa for her senatorial bid last May, her former aide and partner told a Senate hearing on Monday.
Ronnie Dayan made this allegation before the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which was investigating the November 5 killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.
“Sino ang nagka-idea na maglikom ng pera para sa election. Ikaw o si Senator De Lima?” Senator Manny Pacquiao asked.
“Si Senator De Lima … inuutusan lang po nya ako,” Dayan said.
He said De Lima told him to collect funds only from Espinosa.
“Hindi naman po lahat ng ilegal ay paglilikuman. May specific lang na tao yung binaggit nya sir,” Dayan said, still responding to from Pacquiao’s queries.
Asked for the people he had approached for De Lima’s campaign funds, he said, “Si Kerwin Espinosa lang po, sir.”
Dayan said it was De Lima who gave Espinoa’s number to him. He estimated collecting a total of P8 million from the suspected drug lord.
De Lima has repeatedly denied receiving a single centavo from Espinosa. CBB/rga