Ombudsman drops bribery raps vs. De Lima, bodyguard
Ex-Senator Leila De Lima cleared of bribery charges
Bribery charges against former senator Leila de Lima and her former aide, Ronnie Dayan, have been dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman. The 64-year-old De Lima has been in jail since Feb. 2017 for drug trafficking.
According to the Ombudsman’s nine-page resolution dated January 5 but made public on Tuesday, there was no probable cause to indict the former lawmaker.
Daniel Von Evan O. Panelo, Ombudsman prosecutor, wrote in his decision that “there cannot be any ignoring the inconsistencies of the complainant’s witnesses’ testimony.”
In a complaint filed earlier this year, Ombudsman investigators accused the former senator and her aide of conspiring to extort money from self-proclaimed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.
“The testimonies the complainant had presented failed to provide a
clear, accurate and consistent narration of facts crucial in determining the elements of direct bribery and indirect bribery,” he added.
Mr. Espinosa testified earlier that Ms. de Lima received P8 million in bribe money from her aid to fund her 2016 Senate campaign.
At least four witnesses have recanted their accusations that Ms. de Lima was involved in the illicit drug trade.
