The Senate committee on ethics will take up the two ethics complaint that have been filed against Senator Leila de Lima next week, Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III yesterday said.
According to Sotto, they would first hear the case filed by a certain Renato Abelardo De Jesus, who called for de Lima’s expulsion at the Senate in relation to her culpability in the reported illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
De Jesus, the senator said, also filed a second supplemental complaint against de Lima, this time for violating Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code on restraining a person or another from attending a summon of the national assembly or Congress.
The complaint stemmed from Ronnie Dayan’s testimony before the House justice committee that the senator ordered him from attending its investigation into the NBP drug trade.
Sotto said the House of Representatives is welcome to file an ethics complaint against de Lima if they wish to do so.
“As far as the issue on jurisdiction is concerned, I think we can finish deliberating on it on Tuesday. But the additional complaint, it’s up to the members of the committee, but when the House complaint gets to us before Tuesday, then we’ll take it up also,” Sotto said. (Hannah Torregoza)
