De Lima: ‘Senate turning into rubber-stamp house’

Committeee Chair Leila De Lima pacifies Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Antonio Trillanes during the Senate probe on the alleged extrajudicial killings at the Senate in Pasay City.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

THE Senate is now turning to be a “rubber-stamp house,” Senator Leila de Lima said shortly after she was ousted as chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights on Monday.

“Why? Is this good for the Senate and the country? With due respect to them I disagree. I think the reverse is true,” de Lima said in an interview with reporters.

“This is definitely not good for the Senate, not good for the country because we are now turning to be a rubber-stamp Senate and for that matter a rubber stamp-house,” she added.

De Lima made the remarks when sought for comment on Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s statement that the decision to reorganize the committee would be good for the chamber and the country.

Now that she is no longer chair of the committee, De Lima expressed doubts that the body would still focus on the main subject of the investigation, which is the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

The senator noted that during the past hearings of the committee, some senators were focusing on the gains of the administration on its fight against illegal drugs instead of the alleged extrajudicial killings.

“Now that hindi ako chair, di lalong ganun siguro ang magiging thrust nila so baka ngayon yung mga witnesses mawala na rin ng gana na mag fully partcipate dyan sa komite na yan. I’m not saying na ganun ang mangyayari, hindi ko iimpluwensyahan ang mag witness na yan. Pero kung mangyayari yun hindi na po ako magtataka,” she said.

“Magiging biased din po siguro sila, I’m not saying that now as if that’s really what’s gonna happen. Parang I’m afraid na pag iba na yung in control na proceeding, ma-marginalize na po si Senator de Lima, just a mere member, makakalimutan palagi ang pinaka-issue natin,” de Lima said.

She noted that some of her colleagues did not even want to admit that there are extrajudicial killings now in the country under the Duterte administration.

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