MANILA - Ronnie Dayan, the former driver and lover of Senator Leila De Lima, denied Wednesday that he had instructed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director Rafael Ragos to deliver several large sums of money to the lawmaker's house.

Dayan, however, claimed that he saw Ragos making "deliveries" to De Lima on two occasions, although he did not know if the packages contained money.

"Kung nagkakabigayan man sila, dalawang beses. Sa unang beses, nakita kong nag-abot siya kay Ma'am ng envelope, hindi ko rin po alam kung pera ang laman nun," he said in the House of Representatives inquiry.

"Tapos sa pangalawang bigay niya kay Ma'am, isang plastic bag na may lamang parang kahon ng sapatos pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang laman nun kasi parang style sapatos din ang laman kasi. Basta nakita ko lang na inabot ni Ragos kay Secretary De Lima noong time na iyun."

The NBI executive also gave money for feasts held every December in De Lima's house in Bicol, Dayan claimed.

"Tuwing December o kung may kainan doon sa bahay nina Ma'am ang gumagastos niyan ay si Mr. Ragos. May tinatawag si Ma'am kasi na panata tuwing December na magbigay ng mga canned goods, mga bigas, sabon at mga groceries sa Bicol," he said.

Ragos earlier claimed that he received millions of pesos on different occasions from certain individuals including Jovencio Ablan Jr., one Jorge Goff, and a certain German Agojo. He said he turned over the cash to Dayan in De Lima’s Parañaque residence.

Dayan denied the accusation, saying: "Ako po ay ginawa niyang tulay para tulungan siya ilapit kay Ma'am para sa promotion niya. Pero iyun pong salaysay ni Sir Ragos na sinasabi niyang ako daw ang tumatanggap ng 3 million, 5 million, 1.6 million na pera ay hindi po totoo."

(He used me as a bridge to Ma'am for his promotion. But the statement of Sir Ragos hat I received P3 million, P5 million, P1.6 million is not true.)

"Wala din akong nare-receive na anumang bag galing kay Ragos," he added. (I did not receive any bag from Ragos.)

De Lima, for her part, has denied receiving money from Ragos.