Suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa testified in the Senate that he had given Senator Leila De Lima a total amount of P 8 million in drug money to fund her senatorial bid in the 2016 elections.
Espinosa said, he gave the funds to De Lima through her driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan.
Espinosa narrated that he personally gave Dayan money in four instances.
Espinosa said, on the third time Dayan requested money, he had asked De Lima’s bodyguard to prove that he had a direct connection with De Lima.
He had supposedly asked Dayan, “pwede bang makausap ko si Ma’am Leila o makita ko na magkasama kayo?”
In response, Dayan had allegedly arranged the time and place when Espinosa could meet De Lima.
This happened in Burnham Park in Baguio City on November 19, 2015.
Dayan had supposedly introduced Espinosa to De Lima near the skating rink.
‘Ma’am, si Batman,” Dayan had told De Lima.
Espinosa had earlier asked Dayan to introduce him to De Lima using that code name.
Espinosa recalled that De Lima simply gave him a nod.
“Tumango lang siya sa akin (she just nodded),” he noted.
Then, Espinosa turned over money contained in a paper bag to Dayan at the parking lot.
Dayan then suggested that Espinosa could take a picture with De Lima.
The two went back to where De Lima was and had the photo taken.
Afterwards, Espinosa supposedly shook hands with De Lima and uttered, “thank you, Ma’am. Nandun na yung pera kay Ronnie, Ma’am.”
As Espinosa was leaving, Dayan had allegedly told Espinosa why De Lima did not say a word.
“Hindi yan makipag-usap sa maraming tao,” Dayan had told Espinosa.
Dayan had also asked him, “o ano, naniniwala ka na (now you believe me)?”
Espinosa had answered, “oo naman (yes, of course).”
Espinosa said he was able to deliver to Dayan the total amount he had asked before May this year.
“Nakumpleto ko po yung sinabi ko na P 8 million before the election,” he said.
Espinosa’s testimony at the Senate Committee on Public Order continues on Wednesday afternoon.
The inquiry is meant to investigate the death of Kerwin’s father, Albuera, Mayor Kerwin Espinosa, while in detention in Baybay City Sub-Provincial Jail on November 5, 2016.
The younger Espinosa said it was he who was operating the illegal drug trade in some areas in Visayas and his father had nothing to do with his transactions.