SENATOR Lilia de Lima said Friday she could only hope for fairness when the Senate ethics committee and privileges investigates the complaint filed against her by a lawyer over her alleged links to the illegal drug trade.
She expressed hope that the committee, led by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, would be objective in handling her case.
“Everything that is happening is absolutely unfair to me,” De Lima said.
She has repeatedly denied the allegation.
She made her statement even as no key officials of the Metro Manila Development Authority had said they knew Warren Cristobal, the former MMDA employee identified by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte as De Lima’s new lover.
“I don’t know him and besides, I am no longer functioning in traffic. I am now in the Metro Manila Council,” said lawyer Crisanto Saruca, former head of the MMDA’s Traffic Discipline Office that supervises all traffic constables and enforcers.
De Lima said she would base her actions on the decision of the ethics body. After all, she said, she had yet to receive a copy of the complaint.
“Let’s wait for that. I’d rather that the ethics committee tackled that first and then find out and what action they would take,” De Lima said.
“I leave it up to them. I don’t want to create discomfort within the institution. What’s happening now is already distracting [the Senate] because this is the biggest issue always, every day. Other more important things are being set aside.”
Sotto promised to be fair.
“I will be impartial,” Sotto said.
He said the hearing might start next week.
Lawyer Abelardo De Jesus had filed the complaint against De Lima over her alleged links to drugs.
Duterte has accused De Lima of being the highest government official linked to the illegal drug trade.
De Jesus earlier said the ethics committee was the best venue for De Lima to defend herself from Duterte’s allegations.
“The Senate ethics committee is the proper forum to investigate all the allegations against De Lima,” De Jesus said.
“I have no personal knowledge of the allegation. I am just relying on the statement of the President.”