No reason for Senate to probe De Lima – Koko

MANILA, Philippines – Unless an actual complaint or resolution is filed calling for an investigation of Sen. Leila de Lima, there is no reason for the Senate to initiate an inquiry, incoming Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday.

De Lima has been accused of coddling drug lords inside the national penitentiary.

Pimentel said there has to be an actual resolution filed by a member of the Senate against De Lima in order for this to be acted upon by the appropriate committee.

He added a formal complaint filed by an outsider could also be accommodated as long as it is supported by at least one senator.

“If there is no senator who will back this up then we have no business investigating anybody in the Senate,” Pimentel said over dwIZ.

There were allegations against De Lima that she failed to control the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) when she was justice secretary.

Solicitor General Jose Calida on Thursday said he would investigate De Lima on why she was “rubbing elbows” with a convicted drug lord at the national penitentiary.

Calida showed a photo of two people, purportedly De Lima and inmate Jaybee Sebastian, clad in an orange prison uniform. Both were seated side by side as if attending a gathering.

Calida insinuated De Lima was coddling convicted drug lords.

De Lima denied the allegations and said the photo might have been taken during a gathering at the NBP hosted by the Bureau of Corrections for the reformatory program of the inmates.

She said Calida’s allegations were the latest in the demolition job against her.

Pimentel also believed the issues being raised against De Lima are political. He said it would be best for De Lima to answer the allegations against her in a political arena.