THE Senate ethics committee will proceed with the investigation of Sen. Leila de Lima after it found the ethics complaint filed by the House of Representatives and the supplemental complaint filed by a lawyer sufficient in form and substance.
The committee, however, dismissed the two other complaints filed by Abelardo de Jesus and Ronillo Pulmano for lack of jurisdiction.
During the committee hearing presided by Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto 3rd on Monday, senators agreed to limit the chamber’s probe on the complaint filed by the House of Representatives against de Lima to violation of Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and the second supplemental complaint of de Jesus which also tackles the same issue.
Rep. Reynaldo Umali, head of the House Committee on Justice, and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Majority Leader Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas filed the ethics complaint against de lima in December in connection with the latter’s repeated refusal to attend the probe on the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
The lawmakers alleged that de Lima violated the law when she advised her former bodyguard and lover Ronnie Dayan to hide and not face the House inquiry.
Sotto said the committee will consolidate the complaints against de Lima.
The committee will give de Lima 15 days to submit her response.