Amid allegations linking her to illegal drugs, Senator Leila de Lima proceeded with the Senate investigation on the recent alleged rampant extrajudicial killings and summary executions of suspected criminals since President Rodrigo Duterte took office.
As chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights violations, De Lima assured the public that she would be fair in the hearings.
“This is a public inquiry. This is basically fact-finding. This is truth telling. This is not a court of law but simply a fact finding body,” she said in an interview on CNN Philippines ahead of the hearing.
“I am a fair, professional and responsible public official so I guarantee everyone that as the presiding officer of this inquiry, I will conduct the proceedings in the most professional manner giving due courtesy and respect to our resource persons and witnesses because that’s in fact provided in our own rules,” De Lima added.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa and other police officials and purported witnesses were among the invited resource persons in the hearing.
De Lima earlier insinuated that President Duterte’s accusations against her were probably meant to stop her from conducting the Senate probe.
Duterte called the lady senator an “immoral woman” for allegedly having an affair with her driver, who had supposedly collected drug money for her campaign. De Lima has repeatedly denied allegations linking her to illegal drugs./rga
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