De Lima cries foul over ‘more’ requirements for probe on killings

Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Senator Leila de Lima questioned on Monday the requirements that she said are now suddenly being raised by some of her colleagues on the conduct of the Senate hearings on the spate of killings in the country.

“Kung ano-ano po ang nira-raise nila (They are raising so many requirements). Ang pakiramdam ko (I feel that) they are imposing more requirements dito sa inquiry na ito (in this inquiry) than what’s the usual requirement,” said De Lima, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights that will investigate the killings.

Her committee is set to conduct hearings on August 22 and 23.

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“Sinasabi, kailangang may ebidensya. Pangalawa, dapat daw may complaint. Pangatlo, premature pa daw (They said that there should be evidence. Second, there should be a complaint. Third, the probe is premature),” she said.

But De Lima said it was “appalling” for anyone to claim that the Senate probe was premature supposedly because of the small numbers of killings.

“Anong konti? Konti ba yung almost 1,000? Kaya nga nagtanong ako, ano ba ang threshold? Hanggang anong numero ba tayo bago gawin ito (What small number? Is almost 1,000 a small number? That’s why I asked, what is the threshold? What should be number when we can start the probe)?” she asked.

“I just feel na unlike in previous Senate inquiries ay parang pinahihirapan naman nila yung komite na they are expressing those reservations, imposing certain requirements, kelangan daw magpa briefing muna (I just feel that unlike in previous Senate inquiries they are making things difficult for the committee that they are expressing those reservations, imposing certain requirements and a briefing should be done first).”

Just like in the past, the senator expressed hope that her committee would be given leeway and “great elbow room” to conduct the hearings.

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“Hindi yung hindi pa nga nag uumpisa ay marami na kaagad na parang (Not like now that we have yet to start the probe but it seems they are) trying to impose certain requirements and these are not normally the case because time and again, the Supreme Court already has upheld or affirmed the broad mandate of Congress, Senate in conducting inquiry,” de Lima said.

“Pero bakit all of a sudden parang maraming rekwitos na hinihingi yung ilan ilan po sa aking mga kasamahan (But why is it all of a sudden, some of my colleagues seem to be asking many requirements)?” she added. RAM/rga