Several lawmakers at the House of Representatives on Thursday pried into the love affair of former Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima with her former driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan, earning the ire of some who thought their line of questioning was unnecessary and bordering on sexual harassment.
Dayan attended yesterday’s House probe into the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison during De Lima’s stint as justice secretary, but lawmakers ended up disappointed as Dayan denied knowing any of the inmates who accused him of receiving drug money for his boss.
Instead, several lawmakers feasted on Dayan’s affair with De Lima, which the driver said lasted for 7 years.
Here are some of the personal questions thrown by some lawmakers at Dayan:
-- House Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas: Intensity of love
House Majority Speaker and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas asked Dayan how intense their relationship was before it ended.
“Nung mga panahon na yan, malakas pa [ba] ang pagiibigan niyo ni secretary o humina na?” Fariñas asked.
"Medyo signal number 1 na lang po sir medyo mahina-hina na po," De Lima's former driver answered.
Asked how intense it once was, Dayan said: "Umabot din po siguro mga signal number 5 sir."
-- Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro: Init ng katawan
House Deputy Speaker Fred Castro asked Dayan whether his love for the former justice secretary was “pure.”
"Ang iyo bang pag-ibig kay Senador De Lima ay wagas, dalisay at matatag?" Castro asked during the House inquiry on the alleged drug trade inside the state penitentiary.
Dayan readily answered: "Parang ganun na po."
He added: "Yung pag-ibig kong wagas ay di niya sinuklian ng wagas din na pag-ibig."
Before ending his questioning, Castro also asked: "Ibig mo bang sabihin sa pagdinig na ito na ang iyong relasyon kay Sec. De Lima ay hindi lamang para saluhan siya na magtampisaw sa pagmamahalan kundi siya ay saluhan din sa pagpawi sa init ng katawan?"
To this question, Dayan just answered yes.
-- Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque: Frailties of a woman
Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque asked Dayan whether he ever took advantage of De Lima and her “frailties.”
“Sinabi niya nagkaroon daw kayo ng relasyon dahil sa kanyang ‘frailties of a woman.’ Naintindihan mo ba yung ‘frailties of a woman’? Iyung pagiging maselan bilang isang babae. So ang tanong ko sa iyo, eh pinagsamantahalan mo ba itong si Leila de Lima nung kayo ay nagkaraoon ng relasyon?” Roque asked Dayan.
“Siya ba ay mukhang maselan nung mga panahon na iyon? Sa tingin mo ba pinagsamantahalan mo ang kahinaan ni Leila de Lima bilang isang babae nung kayo ay nagkaroon ng relasyon? Nung sinabi mong ‘di mo pinagsamantalahan ang kanyang kahinaan bilang isang babae, anong ibig sabihin mo?”
To this, Dayan replied: “Basta umibig ako sa kanya, sir. Umibig din ako.”
Roque defended himself from criticism that he went too far with his question to Dayan.
He denied that getting the details of the affair in a public forum is a form of slut-shaming against De Lima.
"Hindi ko maintindihan kung saan nanggagaling yan. Nagkataon lang na babae siya pero ang mga paratang sa kanya ay hindi naman dahil siya ay babae. Ang paratang sa kanya - una, siya ay nagkaroon ng relasyon na hindi lang imoral pero ilegal dahil may asawa naman si Ronnie Dayan," he told dzMM.
-- Ang Edukasyon party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr.: Climax of relationship
Ang Edukasyon party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr. asked mundane details about Dayan and De Lima’s relationship, such as De Lima’s favorite food and whether Dayan liked “sili” (chili).
Belaro also asked Dayan when Dayan and De Lima “reached their climax” in their relationship and whether they celebrated their anniversary.
“Kailan ka niya sinagot? Anong month? Kasi sabi mo wagas ang inyong pagmamahalan,” Belaro asked Dayan.
“Paano mo masasabi na nasa Intensity 5 ang isang relasyon? 2007 anong intensity yun? Kailan kayo nag-climax, intensity 5, anong year?
-- Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting: Dayan-De Lima sex video?
Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting also dwelled on Dayan and De Lima’s alleged sex video.
“May mga kumakalat na may mga sex video daw na umiikot at ikaw ay kasama at may mga nagpapatunay niyan at nagtestify earlier na ikaw iyon. Totoo ba ito o hindi?” Tambunting asked Dayan.
Dayan said he never took a video of him and De Lima having sex but he did not discount the possibility that someone else took one without without his knowledge.