Press Release
September 22, 2016

Sen. Leila M. de Lima Press Conference

De Lima: Actually, ang sinabi ko talaga sa staff ko, because of course, since last night up to this morning non-stop na naman ang mga tawag, mga pagri-ring ng aking cellphone, saka yung mga texts. You know, asking for reactions, comments, etc. about transpired yesterday on the House inquiry. So even if wala sana akong balak na humarap muna sa media, remember what I told you before nung mag-start na yung House inquiry or even nung nag-start na sa first day yung House inquiry na mamarapatin ko na sasagot na lang ako sa tamang panahon pag narinig ko na ho lahat ng mga alleged witnesses nila. So napakinggan na ho natin yung ilan sa kanila, and they say meron pa silang mga iba pa na ipi-present during the resumption of the hearing next week.

Now, mas gusto ko po talagang ganun kasi, actually nagte-take down na ako ng notes. Marami na ho akong nakikita rin sa mga testimonya nila na mga kaduda-duda, saka mga talagang nagkakagulo rin sila sa kanilang testimonya. Gusto ko lang muna talagang malaman yung entire ano nila, sino-sino pa ba diyan ang mga, apparently, nakumbinsi na nila na mag-testify.

Remember also what I told you in a previous presscon, na naka-receive talaga ako ng A1 information noon as early as a week after elections na may mga umiikot na dun sa Bilibid trying to look for mga possible witnesses against me. Although, at that time, ang information ko, wala pa silang nakumbinsi. But apparently, ngayon na nagha-House inquiry na, may mga nakumbinsi na sila.

Let me also point out at this point na sari-saring rason po yan kung bakit may mga nakumbinsi na sila na lumalabas na ngayon. Sa pakiwari ko, and I'm verifying all these, kumukuha din po ako ng mga impormasyon with respect to each of these witnesses already presented, paano nila mga yan nakumbinsi, anong mga motivation, anong mga factors, yung mga posible na nag-contribute diyan sa desisyon nila na finally, witnesses na rin sila. While in the first place, my first information noon, early information, was that hindi nga daw sila nakukumbinsi. So sari-sari po yah eh. Ang iba diyan walang choice.

Remember what I said in my privilege speech? Ang sabi ko doon, those who have, either they have an axe to grind against me or they have skeletons in their closet, o kaya mga tinakot, blinackmail, and puwede rin, may binayaran diyan. Hindi pa ako makakapagturo ngayon kung sino-sino sa kanila ang merong mga ganun na mga factors. Iba-iba yan, siguro. Yung iba, magkakapareho yung motivation. Yung iba diyan, magkaiba ang agenda. Pero it could only be those na mga sinabi ko po sa inyo. Again, I repeat, axe to grind. Skeletons in the closet. Yung mga so-called investigators na yan. I don't call them investigators. I call them operators. Yan mga so-called operators na yan ay may mga nadiskubre sa kanila. Ginagamit yan against sa kanila. And therefore, nakipag-bargain yung ilan sa kanila para lang, 'O sige, you will be off the hook in order to save your skin. Okay, ituro mo lang si De Lima.' And then yung iba diyan siguro, ayan, blackmail. That's blackmail. That's definitely blackmail.

Kasi kung mapapansin ninyo yung mga witnesses na yan, talagang wala silang ibang wini-weave na story kung sino man yung pinaka-stage director ng buong zarzuela na yan. Ang pinaka-focus naman talaga, and I think, some of the congressmen yesterday, parang ganun din yung pino-point out, one or two of them were saying this is supposed to be an inquiry in aid of legislation, and dapat ang i-focus natin yung mga kalakaran na yan ng droga sa loob ng Bilibid para ma-ano natin, masolusyunan natin. Because that's exactly the same problem that we were addressing. That's exactly the same situation we were addressing when I constituted that high-level interagency group, which culminated in the Dec. 15, 2014 raid.

Now, but what did we see dun sa mga so-called affidavits ng mga witnesses, of course, may mga kanya-kanya silang istorya. Some of those points perhaps are factual, yung mga kung ano ang kalakaran nila sa loob. Pero the whole, the central idea of all these affidavits, of all these testimonies were really to pin me down. Although, mabait pa rin ang Diyos dahil hindi naman talaga sila mapilit o wala naman talaga sa kanila, not even one of them is able to say na diretso sa akin binibigay kung ano man yung mga pera na yan. Correct? So that's the situation.

Iba-ibang motivation yan, and we are not trying to find out, because I have my own sources kung ano talaga yung mga specific motivations for each of these witnesses coming out now. Paano nakumbinsi ng mga operators na ganyan ang gawin nila, na they are all ganging up on me? So that's the situation. And that's why. I still maintain, and I beg your understanding, I beg your indulgence na ganun pa rin ang stance ko ngayon, na hangga't marinig ko na muna lahat yung mga puwedeng sabihin ng lahat ng mga witnesses na yan, I don't want to be focusing, I don't want to be saying things muna on the specific allegations or accusation being mouthed by these witnesses.

But at this point, meron lang akong ilan-ilang punto lang, na which I think deserve immediate response, not yung mga ano ng mga so-called witnesses, the convicts, whoever else, NBI official, etc. Kung hindi yung punto lang na ni-raise ni Gen. Magalong. But before that, medyo break lang tayo nang konti.

I just remembered, I told you, media, that I've been receiving a lot of harassing, intimidating texts from this number kasi ito ang numero that the committee had so recklessly allowed to be publicly disclosed in the course of the inquiry the other day. I told you about it, I issued a statement in respect to that. Tuloy, hindi ko na magamit itong numero na ito. Halos wala nang pumapasok na mga legitimate na mga texts, puro na lang mga pambabastos, puro na lang mga pananakot. And even calls, non-stop. Although, halos wala naman akong sinasagot kasi pag hindi ko naman kilala ang numero, hindi ko talaga sinasagot. Pero the fact na non-stop, lalo na nung isang gabi, I'm sure galing talaga sa mga kampo na yan. I mean, by the nature of the text, by the nature of the messages, this could only come from these trollers and from the Duterte fanatics.

Random lang ha, although baka ma-ano tayo dito, ma-censor eh kung sasabihin ko talaga sa inyo kung ano ang mga laman nito. So I'll just choose the rather less offensive. Ito nga. Obscene nga itong una kong agad nakita. Pakita ko na lang sayo para i-share. Sample lang. Pili ako ng less obscene. "Ang kapal ng mukha mo, mahiya ka. Magbasa ka sa net..." Another random choice. Kanina kasi it was too obscene. "Ang kapal ng mukha mo, mahiya ka. Magbasa ka sa net at try mo pakinggan tao, galit na galit na sayo. Coddler, imoral, pangit." Okay. "Hoy, Delimaw..." As in halimaw siguro ito. "Hoy, Delimaw, kailan ka magbabaril sa ulo mo? Kahit katiting wala ka na bang konsensiya at kahihiyan? Buking na buking ka na kaya kung kami sayo, magsabi ka na lang ng totoo at bakasakali bumaba pa yung kasong kakaharapin mo. Matanda ka na. Konti na lang buhay mo sa mundo. Hindi ka ba natatakot na mamatay na makasalanan? Puwera lang kung pati sa impiyerno gusto mo mapunta." This is a random choice. Although, kasi hindi ko naman talaga binabasa na lahat. Kayo ba naman, maka-receive ng almost 2,000 of such texts. Baka nabuang na po kayo. "Ikaw pala ang isa sa mga salot sa Pilipinas, umamin ka na. Mahiya ka, uy. Ang dami pa, ang dami pa. Samples lang. I can publish all these to some of you. Nagbigay lang ako ng sample and these were really my random...sobra...meron pang mga mas sobra, mga mas obscene, mas threatening. Can you imagine that? And talking about ganyan, because acts of harassment.

Anyway, I ask for the clearance to disclose this. Okay. Lalo na nung nakita ko na yung sa diyaryo. Page 12 of PhilStar. I have to disclose something because according to this media report and I think, in some other papers, ito lang kasi nakita ko so far... "DOJ reverses ruling on Marcelino drug case." Bakit ko sinasabi ito? Bakit ko ito pino-point out? So ngayon lang ito ha. This is dated today, PhilStar, page 12, reporting na yung dating decision ng DOJ which dismissed the case against Col. Marcelino, ni-reverse. And naka-report pa nga dito na...of course, initially, the handling prosecutor recommended the dismissal for insufficiency of evidence. Now, they are...he is being charged again.

And there is a quotation here from a certain Chief Supt. Antonio Gardiola, former chief of AIDG, said the DOJ resolution comes as a relief for the lawmen going after drug offenders. The PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group welcomed the reversal of the DOJ ruling. And there is a quote attributed to Chief Supt. Antonio Gardiola saying, "Whoever they are, even active members of the PNP and the Armed Forces and the government, as long as you are involved in drugs, they should be caught."

Certainly, and even Chief Insp. Roque Merdegia, former chief of the AIDG legal and investigation unit, said they are hoping the Manila court will soon issue warrants of arrest against the two. "In a matter of time we are just waiting for the issuance of warrant of arrest by the court and after that they are considered wanted." So after dismissing the case for insufficiency of evidence, the DOJ suddenly reversed it.

What is the relevance of that to what I'm going to reveal to you? I ask the permission of the one who forwarded the text to me, from Marcelino. The text was sent to this other cellphone of mine. Kasi halos...hindi ko na nga ito gagamitin eh. Sisirain ko na ito. Pine-preserve ko lang yung messages for whatever purpose it may serve.

I got the messages from a common acquaintance. You know, for his protection, I cannot reveal who he is. But I got two messages from my source forwarding...so it's really forwarding messages from Lt. Col. Marcelino. The first one was received by our common acquaintance, July 19, 2016. The second was, fairly recent, was received Sept. 5, 2016. Messages lang ito na finorward ng aking source from Lt. Col. Marcelino. Ang laman po ganito, this is verbatim:

"A message I got from Lt. Col. Marcelino." This is the July 19, 2016 message: "Mistah, good pm. Magpasalamat lang sana ako sa lahat ng tulong at efforts mo for me habang ako ay nasa kulungan. I can never thank you enough mistah...hindi pa ako masyadong makagalaw at labas ngayon dahil ang dami gusto kumatay sa akin bok. Di ko pa din mapuntahan si Sen LD [Leila de Lima] kasi ginagawan kami ng mga fabricated stories. There are also some groups who is trying to convince me to speak against here. But rest assured na hindi ako pagagamit sa kanila mistah, not only because I really appreciated and forever indebted sa ni Ma'm, but because the people deserve no less than the truth and justice. With my little knowledge and brief encounter with her, I never doubted whatsoever her integrity mistah. Magpasalamat din sana ako sa kanya personally when everything else settles down. Ingat lagi and maraming salamat ulit mistah..."

That was July 19. The more recent message, a shorter one na finorward ulit sa akin ng source ko, Sept. 5, 2016. So the message from my source...I got a message from Marcelino:

"Mistah pressures against me are mounting and they would even reopen my case, but rest assured that I will never give in to them mistah. Pls tell Sen L to keep faith and be strong..."

I want people to know that these things are happening now. Meron pa rin iba akong mga ibang alam, hindi lang ako nakakakuha pa ng clearance from them kung puwede ko na ring i-disclose sa inyo. Through our common acquaintance kanina, nung nabasa ko nga po itong media report na ito, when I woke up this morning, na ni-reverse na yung kaso against Col. Marcelino, I immediately texted our common acquaintance and asked him, can I seek permission of Col. Marcelino to disclose what he texted to me or what he forwarded through you to me, his messages. And sumagot naman yung common acquaintance namin na puwede daw. Although, out of reach by anyone ngayon siya, apparently, because siguro nalaman niya na ito na mag-iisue na sila ng warrants of arrest. He is secretly, privately communicating with me po. That's the situation now.

As I said, meron pa hong ilang similar cases. They have been accessing certain personalities, yung mga alam nila na dati kong nakakatrabaho. Why...I think you're questioning why kaya ina-access si Col. Marcelino at pinipilit siya to testify against me? He was part of the interagency, as a representative of ISAFP. I think it was one of those disclosed by Gen. Magalong yesterday. Correct? If you review yung ano kahapon ni Gen. Magalong. Kasi some of the intel na na-gather namin noon in the course of the interagency came from Col. Marcelino. Of course, we have other sources.

And another thing that was confirmed by Gen. Magalong was di ba, when he said, when he first approached me may nakita siyang parang diagram o parang ano, that's proof na even before sumama sa amin si Gen. Magalong and offered to also participate, because meron siyang sariling Oplan, ay we are already starting all of these, that we are already discussing the situation in Bilibid. And when we say we, kami na nasa DOJ. Meaning, DOJ. When I say DOJ, I would respect to the situation of the inmates, BuCor, and also NBI, because of the investigative aspect of things. So even before dumulog sa akin si Gen. Magalong and also shared yung mga nakuha nilang information about the goings-on in the Bilibid, dati na rin po namin yang pinag-uusapan, dati na rin po namin yan pinaplano. It is an interagency operation.

Now, on the point na during the time of implementation of the raid, hindi na kasali si Gen. Magalong, and his group, CIDG. May explanation po diyan. Although, let me make it clear na hindi po accurate yung parang nagiging impression na naging echapuwera yung PNP. I think nasabi rin yan ni Gen. Magalong na during the final implementation, aside from NBI, aside from BuCor, and then PDEA--although yung mga use of K-9--PNP was involved. NCRPO and other select units of PNP, plus SAF. Nakalimutan lang banggitin ni Gen. Magalong kahapon na may SAF. But I remember he mentioned select units of PNP and NCRPO. So, it's not true that PNP was out of the operations simply because CIDG under Gen. Magalong then, ay finally, hindi kasama. But, the whole operation, ang lead agency was still DOJ through NBI and BuCor. And that is one of the reasons kung bakit ultimately, hindi na rin, hindi ko ma-adopt yung prinopropose ni Gen. Magalong na oplan.

You know, he said something about volunteering to be ground commander. I could not do that, especially when I discussed it already with kina Villasanta, and also, Bucayo, na since BuCor is under DOJ, kailangan ang lead is really DOJ through BuCor and NBI. So kung ang magli-lead is PNP, hindi po naging acceptable yan kina Gen. Bucayo. Yun pong sinasabi ni Gen. Magalong na one time he was approached by Villasanta and Bucayo na ayaw, huwag niyong ituloy ang raid, and then, can you arrange a meeting with...I'm not very sure about that. I don't know that. In the first place, I doubt about that, 'Puwedeng bang i-arrange to meet with SOJ?' Why would...he can meet me, he can talk to me any time. And we did talk, we did meet many times because he was the BuCor director. So why would all of a sudden he would say na 'I-schedule mo nga ako'? He could very well go directly to me. So I'm not sure about that statement of Gen. Magalong, much less yung sinasabi niya na kinausap siya at sasabihin na huwag na lang mag-raid. Because in the final implementation of the raid, nandun siyempre yung BuCor component. Although, the real lead unit in the entire raid was NBI, as personally led or supervised by me. So that is what I can remember.

Q: Ma'am, yung reklamo ni Magalong dinelay raw yung operations. Supposedly, 2014 pa, tapos naging 2015...

De Lima: I'm not sure whether 2014 siya lumapit sa akin. Pardon, what did he say again?

Q: Yung Operation Cronus, parang 2014 pa daw inilalapit, pero ang reklamo niya, more of dinelay niyo raw po yung pag-implement.

De Lima: I'm not sure about the date, but I don't think it's 2014 that he first approached me. I think 2015 na yun. I don't know. I may be wrong also. I think 2015 na yun, although by that time nagsisimula na rin po yung mga discussions ko with BuCor and NBI. So nung lumapit siya sa akin, I don't quite remember that anymore. Yes, there may have been a delay, it's because nga when I discussed this, I took that matter with Villasanta and Bucayo. And in fact in some of those instances, present din si former Dir. Mendez, for NBI, ay ganun ang sinasabi nila, 'Ma'am, hindi niyo puwede na PNP ang maging lead because this is BuCor, which is under DOJ.'

And I could sense that there was dynamics within and among these police officials. Remember, Gen. Bucayo used to be a PNP official also. They had some issues with Gen. Magalong, personality-related issues. Natatandaan ko po yun. But the real reason why nakumbinsi po ako na in the final implementation, support na lang sila and lead should be DOJ, NBI, BuCor is because of that, that BuCor is under DOJ. Pero, again, kasama pa rin ho namin yung PNP nung nag-implement kasi nga nandun yung NCRPO, certain other units and SAF. Meron pa ngang mga snipers from SAF. So they were involved as support.

Q: (overlapping) Ma'am, are you preparing damage suits against your detractors?...Ma'am yung kay Gen. Magalong, yung claim niya...to take over to cover up something...?

De Lima: That's why I decided to speak to you now. That's quite an outrageous insinuation. That's why I thought I had to react right away. Hindi ko na yan isasama dun sa sinasabi ko sa inyong...I'll just explain later. I had to react because what I've been reading and hearing, there are very unfair, unfounded insinuations, na may insinuations na what, ano yun, pakitang tao na lang yun o hao shao na lang yun, or dahil may tinatago. Gen. Magalong himself, remember, admitted that it was a very successful raid. And I can tell you that. It was a very successful raid at walang mga ganyan na mga theories.

Q: Ma'am, question on Marcelino, you're saying that he is a man of integrity and the charges against him are not true?

De Lima: Well, I was not the one who resolved that case because I was no longer there. But hindi ako nagulat noong dinismiss nila yung case due to insufficiency of evidence, especially that the handling prosecutor of that case, the original handling prosecutor, na naka-sabi rin dito sa PhilStar item, "who recommended the dismissal of the case for insufficiency of evidence" was Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva. He's a good, straight, very competent prosecutor, among the more competent state prosecutors in the DOJ. And his finding no probable cause, insufficiency of evidence, and therefore dismissal.

And now here we are, biglang rineverse. I'm not passing judgement on the correctness of the legal action. No. Ano ba ang totoo diyan, ano ba ang tama diyan, i-dismiss ba o file-an ba ng kaso? But look at the circumstances. I have no reason to doubt what was forwarded to me from Col. Marcelino, na iniipit siya para ituro whatever it is na ituturo nila sa akin. As I have said, there are several other instances, personalities na ginaganoon nila.

Q: Ma'am doon sa issue ng VIP treatment kay Jaybee Sebastian...

De Lima: I will address that later. Gusto ko na munang pakinggan lahat yung mga testimonies na yan ng mga so-called witnesses, lalo na na alam niyo, you know, of course I was also watching yesterday since all of these alleged witnesses pumupuntirya kay Jaybee Sebastian, I wouldn't be surprised anymore na he would also testify. Basta ganoon ang aking ano...

Q: Ma'am, may lumalabas kasi na government asset daw po kasi siya, part ng drug strategy? Ano po ba yun...

De Lima: Yes.

Q: ...Can you elaborate?

De Lima: I cannot elaborate on that, that's why my advice to the House committee, if they're willing to take that advice, but I think...I don't know if invited also sina Villasanta, Bucayo. Yes, I would urge them to invite them. Although I would not know, yung pagdi-disclose nila ng operational details, would they go? Because these are operational details. Sila talaga yung mga nagsu-supply sa akin din ng mga information to guide me whether or not to proceed with the raid. Di ba, so sila yung nakakaalam, yung mga sources. Sila yung mga kinokonsulta ko kung sino-sino yung mga ililipat. Kasi mga confirmed based on intel sources ng mga may ano sa droga.

So I would not want to further touch on that because as I said, I would want muna to hear out all of these so-called witnesses. The reason why I'm saying that he is an asset is because to, again, dispel yung mga haka-haka na naman, yung mga malicious insinuations na the reason why hindi na muna siya sinama doon sa Bilibid 19 is because favored, what, protektado, and lalo na yung insinuation na yan na siya ang kumukolekta ng pera para sa akin or what. Let him address that. If he wants to testify, let him address that. Para lang to dispel that insinuation, na kaya ganoon, hindi siya kaagad trinansfer is because kakuntsaba namin or what, you know.

The real kuntsaba there is because nanggaling sa kanya yung mga ibang impormasyon. And the Bilibid 19, alam siguro nila yan, baka patayin. But eventually, noong linipat na sila sa Bilibid 14, I was still being advised na huwag na muna talaga siyang isama because of that. But sabi ko "No, we should include him," kasi nagiging issue, may mga naririnig ako na mga kung ano-ano di ba, so we have to include him diyan sa Bilibid 14. So eventually, inilipat siya, especially during the time of Gen. Reiner Cruz.

Q: Ma'am, can you further elaborate? Ang sabi niyo po, these witnesses that were presented in the House of Representatives were maybe coerced, intimidated, or pushed to talking.

De Lima: Iba-iba.

Q: Aside from the text messages that you're getting, ano pong pwede niyong sabihin talagang directly that will say na talagang they're coerced and intimidated?

De Lima: Ito kasi wala talaga akong clearance, so I don't want to give so much detail. But remember what I also said in my privilege speech na may mga subjected to psychological torture? I know of a validated case na ganoon. Linabas ng SAF, dinala sa ISAFP. I don't know, I won't tell you kung kailan ito nangyari kasi baka matukoy nila kung sino yan, kawawa naman. And then nung binalik talagang signs of...wala namang physical torture but signs of psychological torture. And again why, why was he subjected to psychological torture? According to my source, pinipilit na naman na ituro ako.

Q: Are you taking legal action against your detractors?

De Lima: I am contemplating on this. In fact, sa dami kasi ng mga nangyayari ngayon, and then itong ginagawa sakin na panggigipit araw-araw tumitindi yung panggigipit sa akin, I hardly have time and energy anymore to be thinking about myself and to be thinking about my next moves. But certainly, I'm mulling over several legal actions.

Q: Like what, Ma'am?

De Lima: Unang una, writ of amparo, habeas data. I'm now a subject of persecution and I'm no longer safe. I don't feel safe. The truth is I'm not safe. Can I rely on the regular authorities in government? Can I rely now on PNP for my security? Can I rely now on NBI as my security? I mean, I'm referring to the institutions themselves. Can I rely on the AFP? Again as an institution, to give me security? Alam niyo po siguro ang sagot diyan. So what is my choice? They're violating my rights--right to security, right to privacy.

Q: How soon are you going to take legal actions?

De Lima: As I told you, hindi lang ako ngayon maka-focus doon sa mga actions for my benefit, for my own sake, because there are so many things, because there are so many pressing matters that I have to attend to.

Q: Ma'am, did you ask Senate for additional security?

De Lima: Not yet.

Q: But you will?

De Lima: I'll take it up with the Senate President. I'll take it up.

Q: Ma'am, nakalipat na po kayo ng bahay?

De Lima: If I disclose that, then you're further exposing me to danger.

Q: Ma'am, pero talagang umalis kayo sa bahay niyo?

De Lima: Yes. I have to temporarily leave my house. I'm now in a temporary place of abode. Look at that. At hindi lang ako ang apektado ah. Of course, because I live in a subdivision, kahit may guards, apektado ang buong subdivision. They are now taking extra steps, extra security measures. So that's an added burden on the subdivision, na nadadamay lang sila because of me.

Q: Ma'am, in Congress may mga calls na for you to resign. What is your reaction to that ?

De Lima: Huh! Should I? Ako ang ginigipit nila sa mga walang katuturan na mga akusasyon nila, and then ako ang magre-resign? I don't want to speak further baka kung ano pa masabi ko lalo pang magagalit ang mga iyan.

Q: Ma'am balikan ko lang po yung issue, sino po ang NCRPO chief nung at the time na-raid?

De Lima: I forgot already.

Q: Why include them and exclude the CIDG?

De Lima: Hindi nga, because may issues kasi, dynamics. Yun ang impression ko kina Gen. Bucayo. May issues sila related to the personality of Gen. Magalong, and then apparently, may dynamics, and therefore, PNP was still part, huwag lang yung grupo ni Gen. Magalong. Let Gen. Bucayo, let Villasanta respond to that.

Q: Ma'am hindi naman po si Gen. Joel Pagdilao yung NCRPO chief at that time?

De Lima: I don't think so. Hindi pa ata. Hindi ba recent lang...I really don't know kung sino yung NCRPO noon. We could check it out.

Q: Ma'am, may insinuation na may isang yellow member na higher than you na...

De Lima: I ask you: Sino pa ba ang official na yellow na mas mataas sa akin noon when I was Secretary of Justice? I was an alter-ego of the President, and therefore, the only one higher than me is President PNoy himself. Are the others saying, is my President also a beneficiary of these things? Of course not! You know PNoy. I mean...very outlandish, very outrageous. So hindi ko na alam yung nangyayari. Masyado na silang nagiging confident sa sarili nila. They're becoming so reckless, they're resorting sa mga kuwenteng kutsero na ngayon. You know, it's getting to be laughable.

Q: So what's the end goal, ma'am? Do you think are they after the President again?

De Lima: I would not know. Why don't you ask Sec. Aguirre?

Q: That also, ma'am, do you have a reaction doon sa conduct of the hearing wherein the DOJ secretary....?

De Lima: I'll reserve that first to myself kasi baka ma-misinterpret po ako ng mga members ng House committee. What I can say is that nakikita ko naman that the presiding chair, Cong. Umali, is rather fair in handling the proceedings. In fact, Cong. Rey Umali is one of the godfathers of my eldest son, Israel, and is also a brother in the fraternity. Pero hindi ko siyempre siya kinakausap ngayon, purposely, para wala pong masabi ang iba. I'm letting him be on his own.

Meron lang ako basahin muna, may inabot lang sa akin.

I must confirm also that I really respect Gen. Magalong. I see him as a very professional official. Kilala ko rin yan. And what I can say is that kaya ganun yung parang naging ano niya yesterday is he had some sentiments because he was, medyo nagtatampo. I think he admitted that na sumama ang loob niya, and PDEA. Correct? Dahil hindi siya involved finally. So baka out of frustration lang kaya niya nilabas yun. But other than that, I have no problem with Gen. Magalong. I perceive him to be a professional official.

Q: ...si Sebastian, dun sa...convicted felon testified that you would oftentimes be seen sa kubol niya?

De Lima: Absolutely false. Oftentimes, yung mga insinuations na yan I stayed there, what? Hours? Ano na naman ang pinapalabas nila diyan? None at all. That is completely false, that is very malicious! Kasama yan sa script nila para lalo nilang siraan ang pagkatao ko.

Thank you so much.

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