De Lima: Stop unwarranted intrusion into my privacy!

Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Senator Leila De Lima on Monday called for an end to all talk about her alleged romantic relations with her former bodyguards, calling it an “unwarranted intrusion” into her privacy.

De Lima’s former aide, Jonel Sanchez, and a certain “Makoy” were the latest names mentioned as her alleged lovers in the ongoing House of Representatives’ inquiry.

But the senator vehemently denied the allegations.

“Dapat huminto na sila sa mga ganyan (They should stop these allegations). That’s too much already. That’s really violation of my rights, mga unwarranted intrusion na yan sa privacy ko at saka mga kasinungalingan din po yan. Tama na (these are unwarranted intrusions into my privacy and these are all lies. Enough already),” she told reporters.

“Ano bang gusto nilang palabasin, na napakasama kong babae, na napakaimoral kong babae (What do they want to make of it? That I’m a bad and immoral woman)?” De Lima asked.

Told about the testimony of convicted kidnapper Jaybee Sebastian at the House that he once saw her and Sanchez holding hands, the senator said: “Diyos ko, saan galing yan (My God, where did that come from)? Holding hands! Oh God, wala akong ka-holding hands (I am not holding hands with anyone).”

“Kung may ka holding hands man ako sa mga security ko, hindi naman holding hands, inaalayan kung medyo dangerous yung dadaanan… (My security personnel may have held my hand to assist me if the way is slightly dangerous, but not holding hands) at (and) anyone of my security can do that to me, hindi lang sila Jonel. Hindi lang sina Ronnie Dayan… (not only Jonel. Not only Ronnie Dayan) (but) not in a romantic way,” she said.

Dayan was the senator’s former driver with whom she also allegedly had an affair. Her former driver was said to be among those allegedly collecting drug money for her at the New Bilibid Prison when she was the justice secretary. De Lima repeatedly denied the allegations.

De Lima also denied Sebastian’s claim that he and Jonel had a term of endearment. She said she called her bodyguards either by their first names or codes.

“May mga code yan (They have codes). Code on the security aspect not code in a romantic way…”she said.

Asked again about having an affair with a certain “Makoy,” the senator said: “Sino ba si (Who is) Makoy?”

“For the record wala po akong lover ngayon (I have no lover). Wala po akong boyfriend ngayon, sana meron para naman meron naman talagang nag aasikaso sa akin ngayon (I have no boyfriend, I hope I have so he would take care of me),” she said.

“I’m in my lowest moments because of what’s happening to me and what’s being done to me. Tama na yan. Babae po ako, respetuhin nyo naman po ang pagkakababae ko. Huwag naman ho yung ganun, baka sa susunod na sasabihin nila lahat naging security ko ay boyfriend ko (Enough already. I’m a woman, please respect me. Don’t treat me that way. Next time, they might say that all of my security personnel have been my boyfriends).”

De Lima said her enemies were just diverting the issue because they could not prove her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

“Since, hindi nila napo-prove yan, linilihis na nila yung pagkatao ko na, pagkababae ko na rin ang tinitira nila. Ipinapakita nilang napaka imoral ko. Ano na ba yan (they can’t prove the allegations, they are resorting to character assassination. They are showing that I’m immoral. What are they thinking)? What exactly do they want?” she further said. RAM/rga

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