Dera insists he was a police informant, not de Lima's bagman

Jose Adrian Dera on Friday denied being detained Senator Leila de Lima's bagman, but was rather a deep-cover informant working for the Philippine National Police for several years.

According to John Cosulta's Friday report on GMA 7 news program "24 Oras," Dera said the PNP had recruited him to be part of "Oplan Limestone"  in 2016.

His part in the operataion was to infiltrate the organizations run by drug lords incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison.

To prove his claim, Dera had a document signed by Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs unit commanders which showed him to be a deep-penetration agent.

To help Dera infiltrate the drug gangs and to make drug lords think they would have inside information on law enforcement operations against them, the drug gangs were fed with the false information that Dera's uncle was de Lima's boyfriend.

"Madami po akong nabigay na accomplishment, yung iba nakakulong, may natuluyan na po, nahatulan na yung iba," said Dera.

"Wala pong katotohanan lahat yan na nagdadala ako ng pera o anumang sinasabi nila," he added. "Napakasakit sa kalooban ko. Tumutulong ka na sa gobyerno, yun pala, sa kabila ng pagtulong mo, ito ang sasapitin mo."

"Na-infiltrate niya yung group ni Peter Co, Hans Tan, to the point na dumadalaw pa siya sa Bluilding 14 [sa Bilibid] dahil nakuha niya yung trust ng mga taong ito," chimed Dera's lawyer Atty. Raymond Palad. "Whatever he did at that time ay dahil sa pagiging agent niya doon sa PNP because of his appointment."

Dera, who along with de Lima were accused of soliciting P3 million and four vehicles from a high-profile inmate of the New Bilibid Prison, was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents in Pampanga on Friday.

Dera was scheduled to be formally arraigned on September 3. — DVM, GMA News