De Lima faces Senate ethics probe next week

The Senate ethics committee will tackle next week a complaint against Sen. Leila de Lima over her alleged involvement in illegal drugs that could lead to sanctions, including possible ouster from the chamber.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, chairman of the committee, said the seven- member panel would do its best to speed up the proceedings “so that it will not be left hanging.”

He said details of the complaint, filed by a lawyer identified as Abelardo de Jesus, would have to remain confidential until the panel has completely acted on it.

The committee is considering tapping lawyer Karen Jimeno as its general counsel to advise the panel.

“The last thing I would want to do is to unilaterally decide on anything in the committee on ethics. It’s a very serious and different type of subject,” Sotto said.

“In this case, we’re talking about the situation and the stature of a member of the Senate. So the chairman cannot unilaterally act on anything,” he added.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a member of the panel, said the committee would first discuss whether the complaint was sufficient in form and substance before it can proceed to the next step, which is deciding whether the Senate has jurisdiction over the case.

Jurisdiction is an issue because the complaint was about De Lima’s alleged links with drug lords when she was justice secretary during the Aquino administration, or before she was elected senator.

The penalties for misconduct of a senator range from admonition, reprimand, suspension to dismissal.

Lacson said the complainant would be given a chance to correct flaws, if any, in his report and file it again. He did not say how many times this can be done.

If and when the complaint will be deemed sufficient in form and substance, that will be the time De Lima will be asked to formally respond, he said.

He said the proceedings must be speedy to be fair to De Lima.