Former justice secretary Leila de Lima allegedly directly tasked her driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan to meet with self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa several times.

Dayan made the revelation to Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque last week during the hearing at the House of Representatives looking into proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

This has been so in the five times that he met Espinosa, mostly at the parking lot of the Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Dayan said he was not aware that Kerwin was a drug lord and stressed he was only following De Lima’s instructions.

“Punta ka ulit dun, magkikita kayo ulit (You go there again to meet him),” Dayan quoted De Lima as telling him.

He claimed that the only time he found out about Kerwin’s illegal activities was when he learned that the drug dealer’s father, Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed by police inside his detention cell in the Visayas.

At the same time, Dayan disclosed to the congressional hearing that De Lima – who issued a blanket denial over her alleged involvement in the drug trade – knew very well the contents of the package she sent him to pick up and which she opened in her room.

Dayan recalled that each time he picked up a package from Kerwin, he always left it inside the vehicle, only to be retrieved later when his boss arrived home.

Afterward, at home in Parañaque, De Lima would ask him: “So what happened?” To which he would reply, “Ma’am, it’s OK, the package is already inside the bedroom.”

Dayan also told 1-Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta that he could not present “proof” of text messages between him and De Lima because all of the instructions were made via phone call.

Marcoleta asked Dayan if he could show proof about specific instructions that he met with Kerwin five times and picked up a total of P8 million.

Nevertheless, Dayan said he always put the “package,” usually placed inside a paper bag, in the service vehicle and eventually transferred it to her bedroom.

Dayan, who confessed having an affair with his boss for seven years, said he had suspected the package contained money by simply “groping” it.

Marcoleta warned Dayan about the legal implications of his admission, as well as De Lima’s illicit relationship with her driver and bodyguard.

Marcoleta pointed out Dayan has never been legally separated nor has his marriage been annulled.

Dayan admitted he knew he could be held liable for concubinage while De Lima could face adultery charges.

Even as Dayan mostly admitted to being the bagman for De Lima and having an affair with his boss, some of the lawmakers were not convinced.

Officials had said Dayan and Kerwin would be given immunity for their statements and placed under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, however, said he will move to revoke the immunity for Dayan.

Castro said Dayan’s testimony was self serving. “In fact, I would recommend to the Department of Justice to revoke the immunity for Dayan because he is not telling the whole truth,” he said.

Castro pointed out Dayan had been lying in saying that he did not know Kerwin.

Castro said he is not convinced of Dayan’s statements in pinning De Lima. “He is still protecting De Lima,” he said.

– Delon Porcalla