Administration senators on Tuesday denied President Rodrigo Duterte was behind the ouster of beleaguered Senator Leila de Lima as chairman of the committee on justice and human rights, saying their decisions were made to safeguard the reputation of the Senate.
The 16 senators who voted for De Lima’s ouster were led by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III who said the committee headed by De Lima was biased, especially when it presented self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato, who tagged President Rodrigo Duterte in a series of killings and other crimes during his term as mayor in Davao City.
Senator Paulo Benigno Aquino IV on Tuesday said the Liberal Party is considering leaving the majority following the ouster of their partymate from her committee, which was investigating the series of summary executions since the assumption to office of Duterte.
“I was very disappointed. I voted no. Usually it is discussed first, raised in a caucus,” Aquino said.
He and Senator Francis Panglinan said it is still a numbers game in the Senate and what happened was unnecessary and unprecedented.
“As senators, we must remain vigilant and ensure that the Senate remains independent as it performs its constitutional role and duty as a check and balance on other branches,” Pangilinan said.
“This we intend to pursue. We will support measures that we believe will be beneficial to our citizens, and we will be critical of measures we believe will not be good for the country. We will not simply oppose and obstruct for the heck of it, but neither will we support and defend the administration right or wrong,” he added.
Aquino, for his part, “our institution’s independence is seriously put to the test. The new leadership of the committee on justice must show that it is fair, unbiased and committed to bringing out the truth,” he said.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, one of the senators who voted against De Lima, said Malacañang did not have a hand in the decision to declare a vacancy in the committee chairmanship and membership.
He added it had been a difficult decision since it involved a colleague.
“It was the Senate’s collective decision. We members of the majority are concerned by the continuous efforts to destroy President Duterte. It is dragging the whole country down, as evidenced by the international media’s portrayal of the Philippines at present. It is also dividing our people,” Ejercito said.
“The government has only been in office for three months. Any uprising or upheaval will not benefit the country at this point in time. We have had two Edsa revolts, and it did not help improve our our situation,” he said.
“We decided what is good for the Senate and for the country. The chairman of any committee should not be biased,” said Senator Manny Pacquiao, who moved to declare the panel leadership vacant.
Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Hontiveros and Aquino, all belonging to Libertal Party, said “elementary courtesy dictates that we as members of the majority bloc of the Senate should have been consulted [but] no consultation or dialogue took place.”
Still, “we recognize the removal of Senator Leila De Lima as chair of the committee on justice and Human Rights as a political reality,” they said.
“Our alliance with the majority [is] based on the reforms that will propel our nation to greater economic, political and social heights. As long as we believe that these reforms can be achieved, we will remain with the majority,” they vowed.
In a media interview, Drilon said the Liberals will continue to criticize “if there is basis or need.”
”We will cooperate where we believe that what is being presented to the Senate is for the benefit of our country. We will not criticize simply for the sake of criticizing,” he said.
After De Lima’s ouster, the the majority led by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III declared Senators Gordon and Panfilo Lacson as the new chairman and the vice chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
On the part of Gordon, he said he will not choose the new members of the committee.
“In the first place, I did not want to be the chairman, the senators have chosen me. I just told them to include Senators De Lima and (Alan Peter) Cayetano as members of this committee,” said Gordon over GMA News To Go.
Meanwhile, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said “arms were twisted” to oust De Lima.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian seconded Ejercito, saying “I have yet to speak to the President since he assumed office, and I certainly did not consult him or any member of his administration before casting my vote to remove Senator De Lima.”
“Senate committees are tasked with shaping policy direction and crafting legislative reforms. The committee has become a venue for political vendettas. We had to put a stop to that, both for the benefit of the Senate as an institution, and for the people,” Gatchalian said.
“I trust that my dear colleague, Senator Richard Gordon, will now lead the justice committee with objectivity, dignity, and integrity.” he added.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate needed impartial chairmen who conduct public hearings efficiently and fairly.
As legislators, Zubiri said, they should be productive and proactive rather than destructive.
“People demand results, like developmental laws, from the hearings and inquiries. Right now, we are hearing the national budget which by itself demands our close attention. We should deal with horrible traffic, poverty eradication, jobs generation, improving education, stopping the spread of illegal drugs and criminality, instead of focusing on narrow ambitions,” he said.
Zubiri also said if some persons want to expose certain issues about the President, the proper recourse is to impeach him.