Ronnie Dayan, Senator Leila de Lima's former driver and alleged

bagman, is being protected by high-ranking officials in northern Luzon,

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre claimed Wednesday.
"We were told that Ronnie Dayan is being protected by some high public
officials in his home province of Pangasinan and other northern
provinces up to Baguio. Diyan siya nagtatago, diyan siya nagpapa-lipatlipat," Aguirre said in a press briefing at Malacaang.
Dayan has not been seen in public since President Rodrigo Duterte in
August slammed De Lima, his staunch critic in the Senate, for allegedly
having an illicit affair with her married driver.
The President has claimed Dayan accepted campaign contributions
from illegal drug traders.
READ: Duterte slams lady senator, links driver to drug money
An arrest warrant has been issued against Dayan after he failed to
appear in the House inquiry on the illegal drug trade in New Bilibid
Prison.
Aguirre said the National Bureau of Investigation has been conducting a
manhunt operation for Dayan since then, but the investigating body
came up short.
He is hopeful however, that the P1-million bounty for information on
the whereabouts of Dayan can move them forward better.
"I hope that with the P1-million reward for whoever will be instrumental
in the arrest of Ronnie Dayan, palagay ko malaki ang mangyayaring
epekto niyan and hopefully, we will be able to get him," he said.
Aguirre said they are "offering the protection" of the Witness Protection
Program (WPP) to Dayan and other witnesses who may lead to the big
officials linked in the drug trade like Kerwin Espinosa, "as long as they
are cooperative and that they will be qualified to be admitted under our
witness protection program."