Umali to suggest reward for Dayan's arrest
MANILA — House Committee on Justice chairman Reynaldo Umali yesterday said he will recommend setting a bounty for the arrest of Ronnie Dayan, Senator Leila de Lima's former driver and alleged bagman, who failed to appear before the congressional inquiry into the illegal drugs trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.
Oriental Mindoro Representative Umali said non-government group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption already offered a P100,000 bounty for Dayan’s arrest but the House of Representatives has not yet discussed giving rewards to people who can help lead to Dayan's arrest for contempt.
The House committee chair said he might raise the issue with House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez as he thinks putting up a reward will help the panel’s inquiry.
“Hindi pa namin napag-usapan pero I think it’s (reward) a good idea,” Umali responded in a press briefing when asked how much the House might offer as a reward.
Dayan was tagged by most witnesses as De Lima's bagman in the alleged drug trade inside the penitentiary, which the senator allegedly allowed and protected while she was Justice secretary.
Umali said there is no update on Dayan's whereabouts yet but the House ser- geant-at-arms and all law enforcement agencies have already been alerted.
Last week, the House Committee on Justice cited Dayan in contempt and ordered his arrest after he ignored the probe into the alleged proliferation of drugs inside the NBP. The Bureau of Immigration also issued a lookout bulletin against Dayan.
A lookout bulletin orders the Immigration bureau to inform the Department of Justice and National Bureau of Investigation if a person on the bulletin tries to leave the country. The Bureau of Immigration cannot prevent a person from leaving without a hold-departure order from a court, however.