CONTROVERSIAL Senator Leila de Lima is facing another dilemma after Senator Richard Gordon confirmed he is going to file a complaint against her for allegedly concealing material information about confessed hitman Edgar Matobato and walking out during the Senate probe last Monday.
In an interview, Gordon said de Lima may be ordered suspended, censured or kicked out of the Senate as he confirmed that he will forward the formal complaint to the ethics panel chaired by Senator Vicente Sotto III, who is also one of those senators de Lima earlier said ganged up on her.
Gordon, who is the chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, said he cannot let it pass and the reputation of the Senate is at stake of what de Lima did.
Gordon said his other colleagues who are members of the justice committee suggested that this matter be forwarded to the ethics committee, "because you cannot make a shenanigan on this hearing."
"She walked out and her concealment of material information should go to the Senate ethics panel," Gordon said.
Members of the committee who attended the hearing included Senators Panfilo Lacson, Miguel Zubiri, Manny Pacquiao and Grace Poe.
Gordon said he is confident that he cannot be blamed on filing the necessary complaint against de Lima, as he maintained that he is not biased to anyone.
Earlier, tensions flared up at the Senate late Monday when Matobato was revealed to have left the premises without notice. This triggered heated arguments, during which Senator Antonio Trillanes III confessed to having permitted Matobato to leave.
Another round of argument ensued between de Lima and Gordon after the latter accused the senator of concealing information on the kidnapping charges filed previously by the wife of Salik Makdum, the alleged terrorist, who according to the complaint of his common law wife, was kidnapped by the group of Matobato.
She also stood by her claims, showing a Senate record during the third hearing of the justice committee. De Lima explained that it is part of the obligation of the incoming chairman to read all transcripts to able to know what transpired during the past hearings.
According to the records dated September 15, 2016, Matobato on his first appearance admitted that a kidnap for ransom case was filed against him.
Trillanes read the transcript, which clearly stated that this kidnapping case was brought up during the time that de Lima was still the chairman of the Senate committee on justice before she was replaced by Gordon.
De Lima walked out of the hearing after Gordon refused to apologize over his supposed false accusations against her.
De Lima apologized to the public for walking out of the Senate hearing as she asked the public for their understanding.
"Iyong apology po na sinabi ko na pasensya na po kayo, sa outburst ko, sa pag-walk out ko… hangga’t maaari hindi dapat po talaga ‘yan ginagawa," De Lima said, addressing the public from whom she also sought understanding.
"Humihingi rin po ako ng paumanhin, ng pang-unawa na wala na po akong ibang choice kagabi," De Lima added.
The senator, however, said she's still waiting for her colleagues' apology.
In a statement earlier, she said she takes "serious offense to such unfair insinuations and I demand an apology for the false accusations."
Gordon maintained he will not ask for an apology but will file the necessary charges against de Lima before the ethics committee. (Sunnex)