FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Agri Partylist Representative Wilbert Lee, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimb, and Rep. Angelica Natasha Co. | PHOTOS: Screenshot from Youtube/House of Representatives, Facebook page of Stella Quimbo, and Office of Natasha Co
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial aspirant and Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee on Monday clarified that it was never his intention to “hurt or bully” Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo and BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co when he came over to them during the budget deliberations.
Lee said this after Quimbo and Co filed a complaint against him before the House of Representatives’ committee on ethics and privileges.
READ: Ethics raps filed vs Agri party-list Rep. Lee over budget talks scuffle
According to Lee, he “respects” the decision of Quimbo and Co to file an ethics complaint against him.
“We are just waiting for official copies so that we can respond to this ethics complaint,” he added in Filipino.
Quimbo and Co filed the ethics complaint against Lee as they felt threatened when Lee aggressively came up to them while they were defending the Department of Health’s proposed budget at the plenary last September 25.
During the session, Lee was seen grabbing the microphone from Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza, who was moving to terminate the deliberations as no minority lawmaker wanted to ask questions about DOH’s proposed budget.
READ: Tensions flare at House as Lee grabs mic from Daza during budget talks
Co revealed last October 2 that they had urged the House committee on ethics and privileges to investigate Lee’s actions, as only the mic-grabbing incident was seen, and not his threats against her and Quimbo.
According to Co, Lee “aggressively” came up to her and Quimbo, allegedly demanding that he be allowed to speak or else he would stage a commotion.
Co also said that Quimbo even ducked behind the podium out of fear that Lee might “assault” her.
At 6:37 p.m. on September 25, Quimbo, standing behind Co, was seen talking to someone. After two minutes, Co and lawmakers, including Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, comforted Quimbo who seemed to be crying.
Co clarified that they were crying not due to deliberations being over, but because of Lee’s actions.
READ: House ethics panel urged to probe Wilbert Lee’s act during budget talks
However, according to Lee, he did not intend to disrespect the institution, adding that his action was brought upon by a desire to secure commitments from the DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) regarding the lowering of out-of-pocket medical expenses.
“We are firm in our goal of responding to the lacking and expensive health benefits that we revealed last year, which neither the DOH nor PhilHealth acted on for over a decade,” he said in Filipino.
Earlier, Quimbo was asked if there was no chance for them to withdraw the ethics complaint against Lee. She said Lee had not yet apologized to her personally, even two weeks after the incident.
Instead, Lee wrote a letter to the House committee on appropriations chairperson and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, according to Quimbo.
In the letter, Lee apologized for his demeanor during the discussions, saying that it was just “brought about by the intense passion and sense of duty to enter into the records the commitments we are demanding” from DOH and PhilHealth.
After the incident last September 25, Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin proceeded with the motion to terminate the deliberations on the DOH’s budget, asking Deputy Speaker Duke Frasco to rule on the motion.