Sen. Leila de Lima leaves her office and the Senate building as news crew sought her for comments on the arrest of her former driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan in La Union.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
The House of Representatives is eyeing three possible actions to take against Senator Leila de Lima for discouraging her former driver and lover Ronnie Dayan from attending its investigation.
In a briefing on Monday morning, Majority Floor Leader Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said that the House may file a criminal case against De Lima for obstruction of justice, in the level of the regional trial court.
READ: De Lima ordered to explain why she should not be held in contempt
The House may also file an administrative complaint with the Supreme Court on grounds of ethical misconduct. Such a case may lead to sanctions, including disbarment.
A third option would be to file an ethics complaint before the Senate. All these options may be pursued at the same time, Fariñas said.
He said that this was a way to avoid colliding with the Senate, after Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and De Lima’s Liberal Party allies said that citing her in contempt would violate the principle of interchamber courtesy.
READ: House, Senate on collision course over Leila de Lima
During the briefing, Fariñas also defended the supposedly salacious line of questioning by him and his colleagues last Thursday.
He said that lawmakers were only seeking to establish the extent of De Lima’s relationship with Dayan, to the point she would listen to his recommendations for Bureau of Corrections appointments and entrust him with receiving drug money. RAM/rga
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