“May God forgive you for all your sins. May God forgive you for all your lies. I forgive you.”
These were the words of Senator Leila De Lima for suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa as she came face to face with him during the Senate inquiry on his father’s death.
De Lima addressed Espinosa on Wednesday after he testified that he had sent her drug money worth a total of P 8 million for use in the senatorial campaign.
He said these funds were allegedly collected by De Lima’s bodyguard and driver Ronnie Dayan.
De Lima is a member of the Senate Committee on Public Order conducting the probe but she said she chose not to ask Espinosa any questions.
“It would be inapproprite for me to confront him,” she explained.
She further stated, “it is pointless to do so. It is useless and futile. He gave a very nice script in the testimony about me,” while at the same time saying that cross-examining her accuser “would have been a dream.”
She said she is giving other senators all the time to grill Espinosa.
De Lima said she only had this to say to the public: “I categorically, fully and absolutely deny having known Mr. Kerwin Espinosa. I do not remember any instances or occasions of having met him.”
She added, “I categorically deny having received any money from Mr. Kerwin Espinosa, either directly or indirectly, in any occasion at anytime, whether that money is for protection, fundraising or campaign.”