De Lima denies she would like to replace Corona

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima denied on Thursday that she would replace Chief Justice Renato Corona should the chief magistrate is removed from office.

“Hindi po totoo yan. Wala po akong alam diyan (That’s not true. I have no knowledge about that),” De Lima said when Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada asked if she would replace Corona if the latter is convicted in the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate.

And when Estrada asked if she would accept the post if President Benigno Aquino would offer it to her, de Lima said, “Hindi ko po alam (I don’t know) I will probably decline.”

“Mas nanainisin niyo pong maging senadora (You would rather be a senator?)” asked Estrada, which elicited laughter from the crowd.

“Hindi ko pa rin po alam kung ano ang plano ko. Hindi ko po pinaplano ang sarili ko. Hindi ko po pinaplano ang pagka chairperson ko ng Commission on Human Rights. Hindi ko rin po ito plinano na maging Secretary of Justice… (I still don’t know what my plans are. I don’t plan myself. I did not plan to be the chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights. I did not also plan to become Secretary of Justice)” de Lima added.

De Lima headed the Commission on Human Rights during the time of former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.