Ronnie Dayan camp: Statement on transporting drug money made under duress

Ronnie Dayan, the former driver and bodyguard of detained Senator Leila de Lima, clarified that his statements that he transported illegal drug money for the senator were made "under duress" and without the benefit of counsel.

In a manifestation filed with the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court, Atty. Haidee Soriano, Dayan's legal counsel, said that the alleged transporting of drug money, as revealed by Senator Manny Pacquiao over the weekend, "might prejudice" Dayan's trial.

At the second Comelec PiliPinas Presidential Debates 2022, Pacquiao revealed: “Nakausap ko yung partner ni Leila de Lima si Dayan at nagconfess talaga na naghatid siya ng pera. Tumanggap siya ng pera pero mahirap naman po yun kung hindi natin idadaan sa due process parang hindi natin nirerespeto yung Constitution natin.”

"Whatever statements accused have made to Sen. Pacquiao or to the Senate at the time of the Senate Committee investigation in the latter part of 2016 on the killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa were made under due duress and without the benefit of counsel of his choice," the manifestation read.

Dayan's camp maintained that Dayan was already a detained prisoner of the House Justice Committee and that his liberty was "conditioned on the lies he was coerced" to tell the House Committee in his supposed involvement in the Bilibid drug trade.

Further, Dayan had repeatedly denied the complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) with the Department of Justice (DOJ) that he was involved in illegal drug trading, including receiving drug money.

Soriano said the manifestation was filed before the court "to set the record straight" given the "highly prejudicial nature" of the public statement made by Pacquiao.

Pacquiao has previously said De Lima deserved due process under the Constitution.

“Pabilisin yung trial para makalabas na siya kung wala siyang kasalanan. Kung may aksalanan siya edi mahahatulan siya ng sistensya, yun po ang kailangan natin due process, pabilisin dahil tumatagal lang dyan nakabinbin lang hindi naman nareresolba yung problema,” Pacquiao said. — DVM, GMA News