Duterte: Admission of affair does not strengthen case vs De Lima

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said Sen. Leila De Lima’s admission of her affair with former driver and alleged bagman Ronnie Dayan is not enough to prove her guilt in drug allegations.

“Medyo malayo iyon, malayo iyon because you have to prove na itong si... iyong lalaki, wala, hindi naman rin makita. ‘Di mo makunan ng statement and he cannot answer for himself because he is not around,” Duterte said.

“Bakit nawala siya? I hope he would still be alive. He is a vital witness,” he said.

The president’s opinion was in contrast with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s statement that De Lima’s admission is a voluntary act of self-incrimination.

Aguirre said that through her admission, the probability that Dayan was authorized by De Lima to allow contraband and privileges inside the New Bilibid Prison and collect money from convicted drug lords for her favor, is more believable.

 “The probability of that allegation is higher and becomes more believable now. He could not have done it without such power and authority as a common-law husband of Secretary De Lima,” Aguirre said.

In a briefing with Palace reporters on Tuesday, Aguirre insisted that the admissions strengthens the case, which has yet to be filed in court.

"Baka iba ang pagkaintindi ng pangulo," he said.

READ: ‘Admission of affair boosts case vs Leila’

In a televised interview that aired Monday, De Lima, former Justice secretary, confirmed that she had a relationship with Dayan for “a few years." De Lima, however, denied the allegations of her involvement in the proliferation of drugs inside the New Bilibid Prisons. She said she never received money from Dayan.

De Lima said she may have helped Dayan with finances but she refuted the president’s claims that she gave her former driver and lover a house.

A number of inmate witnesses alleged in House hearings that Dayan was De Lima's lover and money collector.

Dayan failed to appear at hearings of the House of Representatives’ Justice committee despite subpoenas.

He has been cited in contempt and is subject to arrest for that. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption has put up a reward of P1 million for information leading to his arrest.

RELATED: De Lima admits affair with driver, denies other allegations