De Lima hopes ‘hostile’ peers will inhibit from ethics hearing

Sen. Leila De Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Senator Leila de Lima expressed hope on Wednesday that her colleagues, who have shown “hostility” towards her, would inhibit from the hearing of the Senate committee on ethics on a complaint filed against her.

“I have to be honest, I’m not sure about some of them, because some of them have shown some hostility against me lalo na nung ongoing pa lang yung hearings, yung sa Matobato hearings, yung sa mga ganun (especially when the hearings on Matobato were ongoing) and some other issues,” De Lima said in an interview at the Senate.

“Nakikita niyo naman yun (You saw that). I don’t have to name names muna (yet) because I don’t want to create unnecessary tensions sa kanila, pero may mga statements sila (among us but they have statements), on and off the Senate hall and sa (in) media na, which show na somehow hostile sila sa akin (toward me). Some of them, not all,” she said.

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Matobato is confessed assassin Edgar Matobato, who had testified in the Senate’s investigation on alleged extrajudicial killings in the country. The witness accused President Rodrigo Duterte of allegedly ordering the killings of some people in Davao City when the latter was still its mayor.

De Lima said she remained hopeful that they would hear her side, and “exhibit a high sense of fairness and objectivity” when the ethics committee tackles the complaint against her.

“Mahirap naman kasi (It will be difficult) if I will easily suspect or perceive bias on their part in handling that complaint kasi (because) you know, they are intelligent and conscientious people and siguro naman (hopefully), they would be able to discharge their function as members of the ethics committee with utmost fairness and objectivity kasi hindi madali ang mag-handle ng ganyang kaso (because it’s not easy to handle such a case). You are judging your peer, and you will be judged. On my part, I will be judged by my own peers. So I have to respect them,” she said.

“I have to respect their position in the ethics complaint, unless, makakita ako ng mga (I see), you know, apparent or obvious signs of hostility, and partiality, bias, or prejudice against me in the course of the proceedings before the ethics committee, then I will have to take, to avail of the proper course of action,” the senator added.

She said she would like to give her peers the benefit of the doubt even if some of them have already issued statements against her.

But when asked if she would not call for the inhibition of those who have already shown biases against her, De Lima said, “I hope some of them kusa na lang mag-inhibit (will voluntarily inhibit)… Kayo mismo ang witness diyan sa mga naging statements na nila (You are witnesses on their statements) both on and off the Senate hall.”

The ethics committee is composed of its chairman, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and six members—Senators Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan II, Grace Poe, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda. RAM