Sen. Leila de Lima, in the vortex of an-going verbal fight with President Duterte on alleged human rights violations as a result of the controversial anti-drug campaign where some 2,000 persons have already been killed, revealed yesterday that her cellphones have long been wiretapped.
“For what purpose? High risk ba ako? Is that the main purpose why my cellphones are tapped?’’ she asked during a public hearing yesterday by the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
The hearing was held to hear opinions and comments from officers of various government agencies such as Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director-General Ronald M. dela Rosa on various bills, including proposals to amend the Anti-Wire Tapping Law.
After de Lima told Lacson that she had been told that her cellphones have long been tapped, Dela Rosa himself said that he suspects his cellphone is being wiretapped because of questionable loss of signal.
De Lima then asked aloud on who is doing it.
“My attitude is I don’t care. Why should I care about what they can hear, Anyway I am not violating the law. I am not the one violating the rights of others,’’ she added.
After de Lima asked who is doing the presumed wiretapping, dela Rosa stressed that it could not be the PNP because it does not have the technology, much less the equipment as he would soon be asking Malacañang to give the PNP a budget to buy such wire tapping equipment. (MARIO CASAYURAN)