Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — It’s a high-level word war gone out of hand.
The nasty verbal volleyball between President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Leila de Lima is now posing a challenge to the legislature.
Some senators think the Upper Chamber should take a stand and uphold the independence of the legislature.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Thursday senators should stand up to protect the dignity of the Senate. She said that lawmakers should look for a peaceful solution to the ongoing row between the President and one of their colleagues.
Senators Frank Drilon and Kiko Pangilinan are defending De Lima — a Liberal Party ally.
But Majority Leader Tito Sotto said he didn’t see the need for this move — citing his own experience when he was dragged into the drugs controversy.
“The Senate did not do that for me in 1997 and 2012. In fact, I even initiated my own investigation to prove that I was not guilty,” Sotto said. “You can defend yourself if you are innocent.”
At the Lower House, some lawmakers warned the President’s accusations against De Lima would have a chilling effect.
“Nakakabahala itong kanyang (Duterte) intolerance and kabahagi ito ng vindictiveness [This is something to be worried about, this intolerance and it’s a part of vindictiveness],” Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin said on Thursday.
But De Lima remains steadfast. Nothing is stopping the former Justice secretary and Human Rights commissioner from holding a hearing on extrajudicial killings next week.
And she categorically denied once more on Friday accusations linking her to the illegal drug trade.
“May konting totoo dyan pero karamihan ho dyan exaggerations, distortion and lies,” De Lima said. “And foremost of the lies itong may nangongolekta sa akin sa Bilibid. That is an absolute lie.”
[Translation: There are snippets of truth but for the most part, it’s exaggerations, distortion and lies. And foremost of the lies is that there’s someone collecting at the Bilibid on my behalf.]
But De Lima has not answered allegations she has a romantic relationship with her driver or that she built a house for him in Pangasinan.
And while the Senate President keeps mum on the verbal tussle, the House Speaker — a staunch ally of Duterte — has filed a resolution to look into drug-related cases inside the New Bilibid Prison when De Lima was Justice secretary.
Both Senate President Koko Pimentel and Speaker Bebot Alvarez are members of the PDP-Laban, Mr. Duterte’s political party.
