(Eagle News)– Convicted armed robber and drug dealer Herbert Colangco on Tuesday (September 20) revealed that he gave Senator Leila De Lima millions of pesos in proceeds monthly that would be used for her campaign.
Colangco said he got a quota of P3 million per month to remit to De Lima through her security aide Jonel Sanchez.
“May P3 million kaming binibigay kay Secretary De Lima, buwan-buwan… Ikokolekta ko po sa area ko, P100,000, P200,000, may P500,000. So ‘pag umabot ng P3 million… Iyon ang PR payola po,” said Colangco.
This was aside from the P1 million in proceeds from each major concert held inside the NBP grounds.
According to Colangco, it was Jaybee Sebastian who approached him for coming up with the sum for De Lima.
Colangco said that she spoke with De Lima via phone call to check if she had been getting the remittances.
With the use of Sanchez’s phone, the witness recalled that he could tell the woman who was on the other line was De Lima.
“Iyong boses niya lagi ko siya napapanuod sa TV. Siya talaga iyon. Nabosesan ko siya… 100 percent,” Colangco assured.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II confirmed before the House panel that his office already guaranteed a certification from Globe Telecom confirming the number 0917-842-1931 was indeed De Lima’s.
“This is to certify that the Globe plan issued to former [Justice]Secretary Leila de Lima… covering period September 2012 to October 2015 paid by undersigned special disbursing officer,” read from a certification by Aguirre.
Cebu Representative Gwendolyn Garcia also verified the number, and noted that according to her phone book listing, it was indeed De Lima’s.
“I tried calling the number, it in fact in my contact list is registered under Secretary Leila De Lima,” Garcia said.
Colangco also said that he personally talked to De Lima when she visited the NBP about the quota that he was supposed to give to her men, including her driver and close-in security Ronnie Dayan.