Senate body to tackle form, substance of complaint vs De Lima

The Senate committee on ethics will meet on Tuesday to determine whether the complaint filed against Sen. Leila de Lima was sufficient in form and substance, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday.

Lacson said a simple majority of the seven-man committee would decide on the sufficiency in form and substance of the complaint filed by a lawyer over De Lima’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The committee, chaired by Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, would be assisted by lawyer Karen Jimeno, who would serve as the body’s general counsel, Lacson said.

“Kung hindi sufficient in form, ibabalik namain sa complainant. Pwede nyang i -cure. Sabihin namin sa kanya hindi sufficient in form, kasi halimbawa wala ka namang personal knowledge dito, hearsay lahat,” said Lacson.

“And kung talagang walang sufficiency in form or substance, idi-dismiss namin ’yan. Bibigyan namin ng chance ang complainant to correct. Kung di kaya i-correct o hindi na siya sumagot, idi-dismiss namin,” he added.

But if the complaint was sufficient in form and substance, Lacson said the committee would determine next if it had jurisdiction over it.

“Simple lang ang jurisdiction. The alleged offense na naroon sa complaint, na-commit ba ito during her incumbency?” he said. “Kung na-commit ito before, walang jurisdiction.”

Lacson said De Lima would be informed and asked to reply once the committee had decided that it had jurisdiction over the issue.

He said the penalty could range from a simple admonition to suspension or expulsion.

“In fairness to Senator De lima, kailagang ma-resolve kaagad,” Lacson said.