De Lima’s wish—a love life to help her cope with Duterte EMBATTLED Senator Leila de Lima said Thursday she had two wishes for her 57th birthday on Saturday and one of those was personal: a love life. “This one is a personal wish. I hope I will have a love life so I will have a partner to share what I have been going
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through,” De Lima said. She said it was very difficult if the person fighting you was the President. President Rodrigo Duterte and De Lima have been engaged in a word following De Lima’s accusation that Duterte Next page
‘Leila, Espino in cahoots’ They protected each other’s illegal activities—sources By Christine F. Herrera, Funny Pearl Gajunera and John Paolo Bencito
P
ANGASINAN Rep. Amado Espino Jr. and Senator Leila de Lima, who were tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as part of a narcotics web that he made public Thursday, protected each other’s illegal activities, sources told the Manila Standard.
The sources are likely to testify against Espino, De Lima and her alleged ex-lover Ronnie Dayan. “Espino protected De Lima to fly in and out undetected of the mansion to visit Dayan when the then Justice secretary would want a “private and undisturbed sexual tryst” with her lover, sources privy
Espino, Baraan in spate of denials
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brothers, who also served as their bagmen. Then Department of Justice undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, who was in charge as supervisor of Bureau of Corrections, was trusted by De Lima; and brother Raffy Baraan, who served as Espino’s provincial administrator,
took care of all of Espino’s illegal activities and collections. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 72, Espino, over the years, was able to build connections and drug and jueteng networks with his fellow PMAers, whom he tapped to Next page
Drug Link Matrix revealed by President Rodrigo Duterte Raffy Baraan Former Justice undersecretary
Francisco Baraan III
By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER governor and incumbent Rep. Amado Espino Jr. of Pangasinan on Thursday denied his alleged links to the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison. Espino also told a radio interview that he was surprised by the disclosure of President Rodrigo Duterte that named him, provincial administrator Raffy Baraan and Gen. Franklin Bucayo as being in a drug matrix that he shared at a press conference in Davao City. Espino also said he was innocent and that the accusation of the President was false. Espino said the first and last time he went to the national prison was 13 years ago when he visited convicted rapist, former Zamboanga Rep. Romeo Jalosjos. He said it has been a long time also that he saw former Justice
to the illegal operations told the Manila Standard. The trysts happened in a mansion brought by De Lima in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan for Dayan allegedly using “drug money” from inside the New Bilibid Prison. Espino and De Lima were brought together by the Baraan
involved as former supervisor of the Bureau of Corrections
Pangasinan provincial administrator and brother of former Usec. Baraan who handled all illegal activities of Espino
Leila De Lima
Pangasinan Rep.
Amado Espino Jr.
Senator Leila de Lima, the highest-ranking public official involved in the drug trade when she was still Justice secretary
former Pangasinan governor, also involved in black sand mining and jueteng
Franklin Bucayu resigned as BuCor head over alleged involvement in illegal drug trade inside Bilibid
Ronnie Dayan
De Lima’s alleged former driver-turned-boyfriend, known as a ‘case fixer’ in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan who received a monthly payola from Bucayu
Ex-gov built P4-b fortune on illegal acts By Christine F. Herrera PANGASINAN Rep. Amado Espino Jr. has allegedly amassed an estimated P4 billion in ill-gotten wealth out of unlawful activities such as illegal drugs, black sand mining, quarrying, illegal numbers games, massive land grabbing and corruption when he was governor, a source told the Manila Standard Thursday.
The source said in Bugallon alone, the Espinos owned 300 hectares of land, allegedly acquired through land grabbing and harassment using his powers as governor. Espino, he said, built mansions, resorts and restaurants and built roads and bridges leading to these properties using capitol funds. “In 2014, using capitol funds, Espino bought dredging materials worth P30 million to reclaim a 10-hectare island, where a
resort-mansion and a swimming pool were built. Around that island was a 20-hectare fish pond in Barangay Dupo, Binmaley. Roads leading to the resort were built using public funds,” the source said. The source said Espino also used public funds, capitol equipment and manpower to build a mansion in Urduja, Lingayen and what the Pangasinenses called a “White Next page House Mansion” in Bautista.
House to dig up more dirt on Bilibid ‘players’ By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives will summon everyone linked to the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when it launches its own investigation into the matter, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Thursday. In an interview, Alvarez said the resource persons would include personalities mentioned in the “matrix” President Rodrigo Duterte has released that showed their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary. “Everyone who has anything to do with what we are investigating
FAMILY FORTUNE. Some of the assets and businesses allegedly acquired by the family of former governor Amado Espino Jr. from 2007 to 2016.
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Rody calls Lagman bluff
Sy richest among top 50 Pinoys; Sia polevaults to 17th
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday dared Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman to proceed with his suggestion to slash the higher confidential and intelligence funds that he requested from Congress on
RETAIL tycoon Henry Sy Sr. is still the Philippines’ richest person and has remained so for the ninth consecutive year, according to Forbes Asia. The magazine placed Henry Sy
the condition that Lagman solve the worsening problem of illegal drugs on his own. Speaking in defense of the Office of the President’s proposed Next page
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and his family’s net worth at $13.7 billion. The 91-year-old billionaire’s core businesses are retailing, banking and property development. His SM Investments Corp. is one of the
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county’s biggest conglomerates. John Gokongwei of JG Summit Holdings Inc. came in second with a total net worth of $6.8 billion. Gokongwei has interests in air transportation, banking, food,
hotels, power, chemicals, real estate and telecommunications. The Aboitizes ranked third with $5 billion. The Aboitiz family owns the listed Aboitiz Equity Next page
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