KERWIN’S & RONNIE’S REVELATIONS— Ronnie Dayan is now being hailed as the newest sensation among drivers throughout the country as the real epitome of “Basta driver, sweet lover” because of his affair with one of the most powerful women in the country today.

But levity aside, Dayan’s testimony before Congress may not be enough as some of those he declared, as observed by some lawyer congressmen, were inconsistent with the testimonies given a day earlier by confirmed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa at the Senate.

For instance, they differ on the dates the supposed SOPs were given to the senator – Dayan insists it was 2014 while Espinosa said it was 2015.

Kerwin said the payoff of drug money continued up to 2016, a claim that Dayan rejected because he said he was no longer driving for then DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima by that time. This prompted many in that congressional hearing to believe one of them is lying or both are telling just half-truths.

Dayan also seemed not to know the person whom Kerwin cited in his testimony as the one who introduced Dayan to him as the supposed driver, bodyguard and ‘bagman’ of then Secretary De Lima.

In that congressional hearing, Dayan also flatly denied having received monies from drug dealers inside the New Bilibid Prisons for his lady boss, nor knowing any of them, clearly refuting the inmates’ earlier testimonies that she received cash contributions from them.

Only the court can perhaps tell later whether the discrepancies in their separate testimonies would matter in the case already filed against then Justice Secretary and now Senator De Lima, Dayan himself and other respondents.

De Lima as a topnotch lawyer would know how to exploit a loophole in a witness’ testimony and knows too well that if testimonies won’t jibe, this could weaken the case and may lead to its dismissal.

But the oft-repeated mention of the initial SOP in Espinosa’s testimony indicates the extent of corruption using drug money as well as the big volume of illegal drugs flooding the country.

SOPs are usually only paid out insiders in graft-ridden agencies for fat contracts but apparently these now apply to police officers for protection of one’s illegal drug trade. It’s a shame that those in authority, police chief superintendents down to senior inspectors, and those even in the high echelon of government, were recipients of SOPs from the drug cartel of Espinosa.

You can’t blame DG Ronald ‘Bato’ De la Rosa, PNP chief, for being emotional during the Senate hearing out of sheer frustration after finding that drug money greased the palms of some if not most of his officers in Eastern Visayas.

Kerwin’s revelations are worrisome. He just confirmed we are now living under a narco state. – Leonardo Micua

 

CHASING DAYAN –It was toxic, grueling, tiresome chasing for news about the most controversial driver-bodyguard-lover on earth, Ronnie Dayan, our kabaleyan in Urbiztondo town.

I started covering Dayan from the time he was reportedly involved in indiscriminate firing years ago that frightened his neighbors. There were other succeeding reports linking him to controversial stories in his hometown.

I remember I was about to pursue a story in Dayan’s kingdom in Barangay Galarin when then Mayor Jun Balolong was murdered with two others while three or four more persons were wounded in an ambush in Poblacion.

How can I ever forget that day when I was supposed to meet Mayor Jun that same fateful day in his town but I was late by 20 minutes of my appointed time with him because our driver who is a newsman-friend was engaged in an overtime live interview with a local official. Perhaps I would have been dead two years ago had we arrived early.

Dayan’s name became more popular when his love, then DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima, became a hot copy after Pres. Duterte mentioned her love affair with him.

The hunt for him became intense when his name was mentioned in the congressional inquiry as the alleged bagman of madam in the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. The drug matrix of President Duterte again linked him and some fellow Pangasinenses.

Newsmen started to take photos of his house and the supposed “love nest” he shared with his love for seven years for their ”wagas, tapat at dalisay na pag-ibig”.

But there was no Ronnie seen there.

Then, he went into hiding. I went to his barangay twice. My efforts proved futile. No one close to him wanted to talk to the media. I ended up disappointed. Sayang pero hindi ako susuko, I promised myself.

Three months later, he surrendered or arrested, depending on how one wants to appreciate the situation, in La Union.

I was alerted by someone who was with the group going to La Union for Dayan’s surrender or arrest, and told to stay close because there would be a big news to report.

Before noontime Tuesday, Dayan indeed, was arrested (surrendered?).

For the first time in my life, I was entertained by Dayan with his answers in the congressional probe the following day. But as a woman, I pitied madam yet I admired her for staying strong although her world was crumbling down.

After the hearing, Dayan was transported to Pangasinan, so off I went again, early Friday morning, to the Provincial Police Office where he was taken.

The camp’s gate was off-limit to the media so we just stayed outside in a borrowed nipa hut. We waited for one and a half hours. Still, no entry for mediamen. I got my phone and dialed “a powerful friend” to convince PD Ronald Lee to talk to the media.

It was like magic. Suddenly, PD Lee came rushing out and instructed the policeman-guard on duty to allow us entry.

Alleluia, we shouted rejoicing. We interviewed PD.

But Dayan was already in a safehouse, we were told. Sayang. But that’s how it is –  for security reasons.

For now, the chase continues. It’s still getting more exciting, after all.— Tita Roces

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