Show-cause order vs. de Lima insults senators

SENATORS took exception yesterday to the show-cause order issued by a House of Representatives committee against Sen. Leila de Lima and urged the lower chamber to respect their separate sets of rules.

The committee on justice previously agreed to issue a show-cause order against de Lima despite interparliamentary courtesy.

The order came after Ronnie Dayan, de Lima’s former aide, lover and alleged drug money bagman, claimed she barred him from appearing at the congressional inquiry on the drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), despite a subpoena against him last October.

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson reminded the congressmen about the Senate and the House being co-equal branches of government.

“It’s not about protecting a member of the Senate. Rather, we both have our rules in disciplining our respective members. Let’s respect that,” Lacson said on his official Twitter account.

Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon, meanwhile, said that the House members should have reworded the show cause order instead as a request.

“I think they should not word it as a show cause order but a request to the Senate President to request Senator de Lima if she likes to do so,” Gordon told reporters in an interview.

Earlier, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III also reminded the congressmen to avoid being “too excited” about the show cause order.

“We have our own rules. For a member of the House to tell the Senate to do something, do your thing first before you ask us to do something,” Pimentel said.