De Lima: I won’t destroy the man who once became part my life

Sen. Leila de Lima.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Despite what Ronnie Dayan did to her, Senator Leila de Lima said she would not destroy the man who once became part her life.

De Lima insisted that Dayan, her former aide and partner, told lies when he testified at the House of Representatives’ committee on justice against her.

“Kahit ganun ang ginawa ni Ronnie Dayan sa akin, hindi po ako yung klase ng tao na sisirain ko ang isang tao na naging bahagi ng buhay ko. That’s not me. Hindi ko gagawin yan sa kanya,” she said in an interview at the Senate on Tuesday.

(Even if Ronnie Dayan did that to me, I’m not the kind of person who would destroy a person who once became a part of my life. That’s not me. I won’t do that to him.)

“Kami lang ang nakakaalam kung ano ang naging relasyon namin. Kami lang ang nakakaalam. Alam nya kung sino ang may kasalanan, kung bakit natapos na yung relasyon na yan,” she said.

(We are the only ones who know what happened to our relationship. Only we know it. He knows who is at fault why the relationship ended.)

Dayan, a married man, claimed that his relationship with the senator lasted for seven years. He disclosed some details of their affair before the committee, which has been investigating the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when De Lima was still Justice Secretary.

READ: Dayan recounts ‘breakup’ with De Lima

Unlike Dayan, De Lima said she would not reveal the details of their relationship.

“Ayaw ko po na siraan sya. Hindi ko po yun ugali. Alam ko naman na merong dahilan kung bakit napilitan din syang magsinungaling yang tungkol nga dyan sa Kerwin Espinosa na yan. That’s a total lie,” she said.

(I don’t want to destroy him. That’s not my attitude. I know there’s a reason why he was forced to tell lies about Kerwin Espinosa. That’s a total lie.)

“Pareho sila ni Kerwin Espinosa, pareho po silang nagsisinungaling. Alam po nilang dalawa na yan. May kanya-kanyang dahilan na yan kung bakit napilitan sila na magsinungaling,” the senator added.

(Both he and Kerwin are lying. They both know it. They have their own reasons why they were forced to lie.)

Espinosa, alleged drug lord, testified in a separate hearing in Senate where he claimed giving a total of P8 million to De Lima through Dayan during the latter part of 2015 and early part of 2016.

READ: Kerwin: Ronnie Dayan transacted for De Lima

But Dayan, in his testimony at the House, denied knowing Espinosa, saying he only met him after De Lima instructed him five times to collect money from the suspected drug lord. RAM/rga

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