(Eagle News) — A lawmaker urged the Senate to remove Senator Leila De Lima from her current post to protect the integrity of both houses of Congress.
Akbayan Rep. Harry Roque said the Senate should do this after the testimony of De Lima’s former driver and lover, Ronnie Dayan, who told the House committee on Justice hearing that De Lima had advised him to snub the hearing in Congress looking into the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prisons.
Roque said the right thing to do is for De Lima to resign out of delicadeza, but if she would not, then the Senate, he said, should already remove De Lima from her post.
“So if this lady senator, Leila De Lima, will not voluntarily resign from her post after this revelation, I hope our colleagues in the Senate will protect the integrity of Congress of Philippines consisting of two houses, and in fact remove her from her current position. That is if they want to maintain the integrity of the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines,” Roque said.
Majority Leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas said Congress would also study what they would do with De Lima’s alleged “undue interference” in the House inquiry.
“Pag-aralan na namin kung ano ang gagawin namin about this contemptuous act,” he said
De Lima’s text dated Oct. 1, 2016 at 6:14 p.m. meant for Dayan read: Pakisabi sa kanya, magtago lang muna sya. kagagawan yan ni Speaker Alvarez at dikta ni Digong. Pagpipiyestahan lang siya at kaming dalawa kapag nag-appear siya sa hearing na yan.
De Lima’s text messages were saved in the cellphone of Dayan’s daughter, Hannah May.
Because of this, Dayan said he decided to heed De Lima’s warning and snubbed the congressional hearing.
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