Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao on Thursday, April 7 stood by his recent statement, wherein he bared that Senator Leila De Lima’s former driver-bodyguard confessed to him that he supposedly delivered illegal drug money to the detained lawmaker.

“Nag-rerely lang naman ako sa sinabi sa akin. Kumbaga kung ano ang sinabi wala naman akong idinagdag doon (I just relied on what I was told. I didn’t add anything to what he said),” Pacquiao told reporters prior to his campaign activity in Antipolo, Rizal.

The aspiring president maintained his statement, which he made during a presidential debate on Sunday, after the camp of De Lima’s driver-bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, said that “whatever statements” he made to Pacquiao “were made under duress and without the benefit of counsel of his choice".

While Pacquiao refused to say if he believed or did not believe in Dayan’s confession, he said he sympathized with De Lima for the prolonged investigation on her case.

“Gusto ko nga pabilisin ang kaso kasi matagal na. Pero ang problema ng judicial system natin dito talagang mabagal dahil kulang sa budget at kulang sa mga husgado (I just want to expedite her trial because it’s been years. But the problem is our slow judicial system because we lack budget and judges),” he said.

In talking about Dayan’s supposed confession, Pacquiao said he has nothing personal against De Lima.

In fact he just wants her to have a speedy trial.

“Kasi kung hindi talaga totoo, eh ilan taon na ang binuno niya sa kulungan (I just want to expedite the trial. Because if the charges against her are not true, it’s bothersome considering how many years she has already spent in jail),” he added.