House leaders file ethics complaint vs De Lima at Senate
Former Justice Secretary and now Sen. Leila De Lima prepares to read a statement, Thursday, Aug.18, 2016, at the Philippine Senate in Pasay City, Philippines. AP/Bullit Marquez
MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives leadership on Monday filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Leila De Lima before the Senate.
This was after the lady senator snubbed the show cause order filed against her by the lower house.
House Committee on Justice Chair Rep. Reynaldo Umali said the 12-page ethics complaint is filed by him, House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez and Majority Leader Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas. He, however, clarified that it was not intended to target De Lima but it was her “contumacious act, disrespect for the House” that really pushed them to pursue the complaint.
De Lima repeatedly snubbed the House panel hearing into her alleged involvement in the proliferation of the narcotics trade inside the New Bilibid Prison.
“This is not about her, incidental lang naman dito si Leila because she was a secretary of justice at that time… We’ve been saying that all along this is not about Senator De Lima,” Umali said.
“Kung hindi rin ganun ang actuations ni Senator De Lima, hindi rin siguro namin ifi-nile ito pero parang ang nangyari hinahamon niya talaga ang House,” he said.
The complaint was received by Senate Ethics Committee Chair Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. Umali refused to disclose the penalties they wanted for De Lima saying they will leave it to the Senate.
De Lima is currently out of the country to receive an award in the United States and speak at the Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany.
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