Lacson blasts Duterte's disrespectful demeanor in Senate probe
FORMER senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday slammed former president Rodrigo Duterte's demeanor and «invasion» of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigation on his alleged bloody war on drugs.
The come-backing senator, in a statement, criticized what he perceived was a «disrespectful takeover» of the Senate public hearing on the Duterte administration's controversial war on drugs. He condemned Duterte's demeanor during the drug war probe on Monday conducted by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III.
Lacson said that only one senator «defended the Senate's dignity» from Duterte's rantings and attacks against those critical of his anti-drugs campaign.
«Yesterday, the upper chamber was 'invaded' by the former President of the Republic,» he said referring to Duterte. «Only one consistently and steadfastly stood up to preserve the dignity of the Philippine Senate. She happens to be a woman who answers 'present' during a roll call. Her name: Risa Hontiveros,» Lacson said.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV echoed Lacson's remarks.
«The only bright spot in yesterday's Senate hearing was Senator Risa's standing up to the evil Duts (Duterte).»
Hontiveros repeatedly admonished Duterte for blurting out profanities during the Senate inquiry. Duterte peppered his testimony with expletives when he defended his iron hand policy against drug suspects and erring policemen.
AdvertisementLacson said that in one instance, Hontiveros asked Pimentel to admonish «the resource person» (Duterte) to stop using foul language while testifying under oath «kasi bahay natin itong Senado (because the Senate is our home).»
But Pimentel declined to strike his remarks from the transcript. Hontiveros, on Tuesday, said Duterte should first face the law of man before facing the punishment «from hell» for implementing his bloody war on drugs.
«He took full responsibility anyway for the bloody war on drugs that resulted in the death of thousands of Filipinos,» she said in a statement in Filipino.
«Only those with hardened hearts could execute extrajudicial killings--from the one who ordered them up to those who pulled the trigger, and to those who