Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 12) — A Muntinlupa court on Friday acquitted Ronnie Dayan, the former driver and bodyguard of ex-Senator Leila de Lima who was also accused in one of the latter’s remaining drug cases.
“Sinabi ng korte reasonable doubt based po doon sa recantation nung witness na si Mr. Rafael Ragos,” Haidee Soriano, lawyer of Dayan, told reporters on Friday referring to former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos who backtracked his allegations against the former lawmaker.
“Yun po ang nag-establish ng reasonable doubt sa participation po ni former Senator De Lima at ni Ronnie Dayan,” Soriano added.
[Translation: The court said reasonable doubt based on the recantation of the witness Mr. Rafael Ragos. This established the reasonable doubt on the participation of former Senator De Lima and Ronnie Dayan.]
The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 on Friday acquitted De Lima and Dayan on their alleged involvement in illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
The former senator was accused of benefiting from the drug trade, with the money used to finance her senatorial bid in 2016.
Dayan was accused of collecting drug money for De Lima, which he denied.
In 2022, Ragos recanted his allegations, saying he was “forced” to execute affidavits implicating De Lima in the illegal drug trade in the NBP as he received “threats of being detained.”
On the remaining drug case filed before Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256, Soriano said their camp has also applied for bail and is just waiting for its resolution.
