Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday called House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez "narrow-minded" after he branded her as a "serial liar" in a live TV interview a day earlier.
In a statement, De Lima said, "Ipinapakita lang ng pahayag na ito kung gaano kakitid ang pag-iisip ni House Speaker Alvarez."
"Pinapatibay din nito kung paanong nahusgahan na ako ng naturingang pinuno ng Kamara de Representantes, bago pa man ang sinasabing in aid of legislation kuno na pagdinig sa diumano’y paglaganap ng ilegal na droga sa Bilibid," De Lima added.
Alvarez made the comment against De Lima after watching the Senate committee on public order's probe into the death of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa who was killed inside a jail after a bloody search last November 5.
One of the witnesses on Wednesday was the mayor's son, Eastern Visayas' suspected big-time drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa, who claimed that he had given P8 million to De Lima's campaign fund in exchange for "protection."
De Lima, in several instances, has been repeatedly denying the allegations about her involvement in the illegal drug trade. During the Senate probe, De Lima refused to confront or even question Kerwin, saying it was "pointless, useless, and futile" for her to do so.
Alvarez, in the TV interview, said "Bilib nga ako kay Sen. De Lima. Talagang magaling siyang magsinungaling. I think she is really a serial liar."
In the statement she issued on Thursday, De Lima alleged that Alvarez and President Rodrigo Duterte are out to bring her down.
"Malinaw naman na ang tono ni Ginoong Alvarez ay kapareho rin ng kanyang Mahal na Poong Duterte. Naging bukambibig na nila ang husgahan at hiyain ako sa publiko kahit imbento lang naman ang kanilang mga ebidensya," De Lima said.
"Kung susuriin po ang kanilang mga paratang, wala silang ibang ipinagmamalaki kundi ang mga testimonya ng mga drug convict at personalidad na may personal na motibo para mapilitang magsinungaling at tumestigo laban sa akin," the senator added.
She pointed out that Alvarez was among the congressmen who had wanted to show before the House of Representatives the sex video that allegedly featured her and her former driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan.
"Kung matatandaan po ninyo, si Ginoong Alvarez din—ang naturingang pinuno ng mga kinatawan ng taumbayan sa Mababang Kapulungan—ang siya mismong nanguna at pumayag sa pagpapalabas ng diumano’y sex video sa imbestigasyon sa Kamara. Kung ganito po kabastos mag-isip si Ginoong Alvarez, hindi na talaga ako magtataka sa iba pang pambababoy at paninirang-puri na ibabato niya laban sa akin," De Lima said.
"Ang sa akin lang, bago pa man magsalita si Ginoong Alvarez, at ang mga kagaya niya sa Kamara at sa sangay ng Ehekutibo, subukan muna nilang humarap sa salamin, at makikita nila kung sino ang bastos, walang galang sa kababaihan, at tunay na mga sinungaling," De Lima added. —Veronica Pulumbarit/KG, GMA News
Source:GMA NEWS
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