Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre on Tuesday said he would rather not have a manhunt for Ronnie Dayan, the alleged driver-lover of Senator Leila de Lima.
Aguirre admitted in an interview with ANC's Headstart that they are yet to locate Dayan, but he does not believe the latter has fled the country.
Nevertheless, he said they have turned over the investigation to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), "and I think the NBI will be able to trace him."
"When there is already a warrant [we would pursue a manhunt], but now, no. Although, we would like to invite Ronnie Dayan to come out in the open and to testify before the congress," he said.
Aguirre said his office could put Dayan under the Witness Protection Program and if he agrees to testify before the House of Representatives' probe on the proliferation of drugs at the National Bilibid Prison, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez may also offer him immunity, similar to the one granted to earlier witnesses.
Aguirre offered one condition, however: "As long as the condition that he will tell only the truth, nothing but the truth [is met], then he can testify against Senator De Lima."
Meanwhile, Aguirre also urged the former Justice Secretary to attend the lower house's investigation, noting that she is yet to present evidence supporting her claim that the proceedings are a "sham" because the witnesses had been pressured to testify against her.
"We have a principal law that he who accuses must prove... but [she] has offered no evidence. Wala naman siyang sinasabi, so wala naman siyang sinasabing pruweba. [She] has not produced anything," he said.
He also claimed that "nobody believes" De Lima's denial of her connection to the illegal drugs because of the evidence presented against her in the Lower House.
"I believe that it’s time for her to defend herself and to go to the House as invited by her brother in the fraternity, Congressman Rey Umali," he said.
Detained crime lords presented by the DOJ to Congress this week accused De Lima of receiving kickbacks from the illegal drug trade, which was being run from inside the national penitentiary.
The witnesses said drug money was used to fund De Lima's senatorial bid in the May elections.
SOURCE:ABS-CBN
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