JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II on Tuesday said the admission by Sen. Leila M. de Lima that she had a romantic affair with her former driver will bolster the criminal and disbarment cases filed against her in connection with her alleged role in the proliferation of the illegal-drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) during her watch as justice secretary.
Aguirre said de Lima’s admission on national television on Monday night could even be presented as evidence once the cases filed against her reach the court.
He said he had instructed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to get a copy of the video recording of the said interview, as it can be used as evidence against de Lima.
Aguirre added de Lima’s admission disproved her repeated statements that he is manufacturing evidence against her to malign her reputation and pin her down on the criminal charges filed in connection with her alleged involvement in the illegal-drugs trade at the NBP in Muntinlupa City.
He added that her admission also corroborated the testimony of several witnesses they presented in the House’s inquiry on the proliferation of illegal drugs at the national penitentiary that de Lima has a romantic relationship with Ronnie Dayan.
“It proves na hindi manufactured ang sinabi nating relasyon nila, katulad ng pinaratang niya sa akin. Na-corroborate rin nito ang statement ng witnesses at na-establish ang link kay Dayan,” Aguirre said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) chief added that de Lima’s admission of his romantic affair with Dayan raised the probability that Dayan was, indeed, collecting drug money from Bilibid inmates, a fact testified to by several of the DOJ witnesses who appeared in the investigation conducted by the House of Representatives.
“May epekto itong admission sa probability or improbability that Dayan was collecting money from Bilibid inmates. Hindi naman pwede n’ya gawin ’yun ng walang kapangyarihan, so highly probable na ngayon na may kapangyarihan si Ronnie na ganun at nangulekta para sa financial needs at later on sa campaign funds,” Aguirre added.
Aside from bolstering the drug-related cases filed against her, Aguirre said de Lima’s admission could also strengthen the disbarment case filed against Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption(VACC), jueteng whistle-blower Sandra Cam, and former NBI deputy directors Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala for gross immorality for her relationship with Dayan.
“Wala nang duda ngayon na nakipagrelasyon sya sa may asawa. That is immorality. Mali iyon sa batas. Kahit ano pang depensa niya basta hindi legal na hiwalay si Ronnie via legal separation o annulment sa asawa nito… hindi puwede iyon. Ang Korte Suprema ay consistent sa pagpataw ng ultimate penalty of disbarment sa mga kasong ganyan,” Aguirre said.
In admitting her relationship with Dayan, de Lima said it was due to the “frailties of a woman.”
Meanwhile, Aguirre said they received information that a big-time politician in the northern part of the country provided sanctuary to Dayan.
Aguirre said he received the said information from the NBI, although he refused to go into details, adding that the bureau if still validating it.
“Talagang pinasubaybayan namin sa NBI. Apparently, he is being protected. Nagtatago siya sa North. He is protected by a big-time politician doon sa Pangasinan and other Northern Luzon provinces,” Aguirre said.
The VACC has also offered P1 million for any information that would lead to Dayan’s arrest.
The VACC, through its lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, announced the reward money in a forum in Quezon City on Tuesday, saying that seven businessmen he did not identify donated money to accumulate such amount.