De Lima vehemently denies any association with co-accused Dera

Detained Senator Leila De Lima on Saturday strongly denied any association or personal knowledge of Jose Adrian Dera, her co-accused in one of her cases involving illegal drugs.

"For the nth time, I declare that this Jose Adrian Dera, the recently arrested co-accused in one of my 3 drug cases, is not at all related to me. He’s not a nephew or an aide (“alalay”) or whatever. I don’t know this guy from Adam. No connections whatsoever to me," De Lima said in her dispatch on Saturday.

"This story about his alleged delivery of money to me from Bilibid inmates is but another grand work of fiction. A never-ending tale of lies..." she added.

Dera, reportedly De Lima's nephew and former aide, was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents in Pampanga on Friday after two years in hiding.

De Lima's camp previously denied that Dera was neither the senator's nephew nor former aide.

In a statement in 2017, De Lima said: "I do not know MR. DERA at all. He is not a nephew or a relative of mine of any degree. He has not worked for me as an aide or in any capacity."

De Lima and Dera are accused of soliciting money worth P3 million and four vehicles from a high-profile inmate of the New Bilibid Prison supposedly for De Lima’s Senate run in 2016.

On the other hand, Dera has denied being the detained senator's bagman. —Jamil Santos/LBG, GMA News