Senator Leila de Lima and her former lover and aide Ronnie Dayan were detained on Friday at Camp Crame in Quezon City and Muntinlupa police, respectively, less than 24 hours after a Muntinlupa court ordered their arrest.
Judge Juanita Guerrero of Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 ordered arresting officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to return De Lima to the Philippine National Police Custodial Service Unit in Camp Crame as requested by CIDG-NCR chief Senior Supt. Belli Tamayo.
De Lima will share the same detention facility as Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla, who are facing plunder charges for their alleged involvement in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
READ: Bato: De Lima welcome to stay at PNP custodial center
The CIDG served the warrant of arrest on De Lima when she stepped out of her Senate office in Pasay about 8 a.m. They later went to the Custodial Unit at 9 a.m. where she was booked on illegal drug charge.
READ: After awaiting arrest at Senate, De Lima turns self in to CIDG
De Lima arrived at Muntinlupa RTC at 11:10 a.m. on board a coaster. About 15 minutes later, she was escorted by a dozen of CIDG cops wearing bulletproof vests to Branch 204 to return the warrant of arrest and get the commitment order.
Before De Lima left the Muntinlupa compound past 11:30 a.m., the senator opened the coaster’s windows and flashed the “L” sign to her supporters, who shouted back “Laban, Leila!”
Ten minutes after, Dayan and his family members escorted by CIDG arrived at the RTC on a black van.
Loreta Dayan said their family accompanied his brother all the way from Pangasinan province to support him.
READ: Ronnie Dayan arrested in Pangasinan
Asked if their family had ill-feelings for Dayan’s former lover, Loreta said: “Wala kaming sama ng loob kay Senator De Lima. Napakabuti niya sa amin. Hindi kami naniniwalang magagawa nila ang mga isinampang kaso sa kanila (We have no grudges against Senator De Lima. She treated our family well. We do not believe that they could what are being charged against them).”
At 12:20 p.m., without Dayan getting off and completing the return of arrest warrant, the coaster left the Muntinlupa RTC compound.
Senior Supt. Nicolas Salvador, Muntinlupa police chief, told the Inquirer that the police had received the order signed by Judge Guerrero to commit Dayan at the Muntinlupa police detention for an indefinite period of time.
Salvador said Dayan was at a 10-square-meter cell, isolated from other inmates./rga
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