Hontiveros slams ‘grossly unparliamentary’ House hearing on drugs

Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday minced no words as she continued to criticize the recently concluded House justice committee hearing on drug proliferation at the New Bilibid Prison, which dwelled on intimate details of Sen. Leila de Lima’s past affair with her former driver.

Speaking at the Advocacy Fair event organized by House committee on women chair Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, Hontiveros described members of the House justice committee who asked sexually charged questions to Ronnie Dayan as “grossly unparliamentary.”

“Instead of shedding light solely on the issue of the illegal drug trade in our prisons, some members of the committee decided to delve into Sen. Leila’s past relationship. Those members of the committee are grossly unparliamentary,” Hontiveros said in her speech at Vista Mall Taguig.

“Not a few said it seemed to be a legislative-sanctioned slut-shaming. The women that saw the televised hearing have the right to be outraged and feel sickened by the derogatory line of questioning of these committee members,” she added.

Last Thursday’s hearing dwelled on Dayan’s seven-year affair with De Lima, who is being accused of coddling drug lords and benefitting from drug money at the national penitentiary. Lawmakers asked questions on the “climax” and “intensity” of the relationship of the two, which elicited laughter from the room.

Hontiveros earlier called the hearing as “lowest of lows,” “in aid of sexism and misogyny” instead of in aid of legislation.

The lady senator appealed to the House leadership to observe parliamentary courtesy and respect co-equality of branches, as she lauded some of her colleagues for taking a stand on the issue not just for Sen. De Lima’s sake but for the dignity of women and the entire Senate.

“Mas maiging matapos na muna ng Senate at House ang aming mga kanya-kanyang imbestigasyon with findings and recommendations bago mag-issue ng kung anu-anong demand sa isa’t isa,” she said.

(It’s better if the Senate and House finish their own investigations with findings and recommendations before they issue all sorts of demands from each other.)

“Malinaw naman mula sa simula ito’y pagsuporta hindi lang sa isang miyembro ng Senado, sa kanyang dignidad bilang babae at sa kanyang karapatan, pero sa pagprotekta sa integridad ng buong institusyon, pagsuporta sa lahat ng kababaihan,” Hontiveros added.

(It’s clear from the start that this support isn’t just for one member of the Senate and her dignity as a woman and her rights, but also protection of the entire institution’s integrity and support to all women.) JE/rga