SAN JUAN, La Union — The elusive Ronnie Dayan, former driver/bodyguard of Senator Leila Delima had been in hiding in the mountains for less than two months in Barangay Lacung in San Gabriel before his arrest at 11:30 a.m. today (Tuesday), a source from the police who asked not to be identified said.
Dayan was arrested by joint police operatives in Sitio Turod, Barangay Guinguinabang, San Juan, La Union, a village adjacent to Barangay Lacung, San Gabriel.
Dayan, a native of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan, is wanted by both the House and the Senate probing into alleged collection of drug money from convicted drug lords at the National Bilibid Prison.
The source said Dayan hid for almost two months in the houses of his relatives in the mountain barangay of Lacung in San Gabriel town where a shanty was built for him to stay.
Dayan reportedly went down from the mountain Monday afternoon after sensing the presence of policemen in the area as he went to San Felipe, San Juan to stay with another relative.
After his arrest, Dayan was briefly brought to Camp Diego Silang in San Fernando City, La Union to appear before La Union police director Senior Supt. Leo Francisco and then escorted directly to Camp Crame.
The warrants served on Dayan came from Congress when he refused to honor the invitation of lawmakers looking into the proliferation of illegal drugs at NBP.
Dayan could not be found when the police served the warrant twice in his home in Barangay Galarin, Urbiztondo and in the adjacent houses of his relatives.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) headed by Dante Jimenez and their lawyer Ferdinand Topacio earlier announced a P1-million reward for any one who could furnish valuable information that could lead to Dayan’s arrest by the police. Another P100,000 reward was pledged by a businessman from Pangasinan.
The VACC believes that Dayan can refute or confirm allegations made by convicted drug lords at NBP that he collected money from them before the election to form part of the campaign fund of then DOJ Secretary Delima when she ran for senator. PNA-northboundasia.com