Senator Leila de Lima. SCREENGRAB FROM INQUIRER VIDEO/NOY MORCOSO
Senator Leila de Lima shrugged off on Thursday the drug charges being recommended by the House of Representatives’ minority bloc, which she likened to a “company union.”
“’Yang so-called minority na ‘yan, House minority, these are the so-called house opposition pero hindi naman ho ‘yan genuine na minority. Hindi naman ‘yan genuine opposition. May pagka company union. Kunwari lang ‘yan mga opposition or minority, with due respect to them,” De Lima said during the regular “Kapihan sa Senado.”
(That so-called minority pretends to be the opposition, but it’s not a genuine minority. It’s not a genuine opposition. It works like a company union. They are just pretending as the opposition or the minority, with due respect to them.)
She said the House minority bloc has its own agenda, noting that some of its members were “so passionate” in “vilifying” her when the House committee on justice probed the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) during her time as Justice Secretary.
De Lima said some of the opposition congressmen were quick to believe the lies of drug convicts, who had testified against her during the House probe.
READ: House minority bloc recommends graft, drug raps vs De Lima
“And they did not bother at all to really probe seriously into the apparent inconsistencies and self-contradictory points in the testimonies of some of them,” she said.
“Kasi ang gusto nila marinig, ‘yung gusto nilang marinig. Ang gusto nilang marinig e ‘yung sinasabi lagi ng Pangulo na ako daw ay nasa sentro ng drug trade so ‘yun ang gusto nilang marinig palagi….” the senator added.
(They hear only what they want to hear. They hear only what the President is claiming that I am to be blamed for the illegal drug trade.)
The real opposition in the House, she said, is the group led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.
It was the minority bloc led by Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez that came up with its own report, recommending the filing of criminal charges against De Lima for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade at the NBP. IDL/rga