Dispatch from Crame No. 597:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's quick reaction to today's Blue Ribbon Committee hearing where Ragos and Ablen testified

9/12/19

I vehemently deny and deplore the accusations of certain fellow Senators, like Senators Gordon and Tolentino, and even Sen. Lacson.

I say they are the ones who accuse me because it was reported to me that they were practically the ones who testified for, if not guided the testimonies of Ragos and Ablen as presented by Sen. Lacson, who, I was told, asked primarily leading questions. These two (2) NBI official/personnel previously gave perjured testimonies against me during the 2016 House Justice Committee hearings and also in the ongoing trial in my drug cases pending before the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa. They were lying then. They continue to do so, under the direction of Duterte and his operators.

It was also reported to me that Ragos did not even have to narrate his testimony. Rather than questioning Ragos and Ablen to let them testify, it was Sen. Gordon himself who read out loud the false and malicious imputations against me. Ragos and Ablen ended up mechanically confirming what Sen. Gordon read. Sen. Tolentino even attempted to have Ragos confirm prior fake stories which were already debunked.

Sen. Gordon steered away the discussion from the violations of Sen. Dela Rosa and Faeldon and insinuated that the IRR was written to achieve corrupt ends. The IRR reflected the letters of the law. Any problem they have as a result of the implementation of R.A. No. 10592 lies with the law, not the IRR.

I guess parliamentary courtesy, delicadeza, even basic human decency is out the window in the halls of the Senate.

*Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 597 here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_597