Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima pushed back against remarks by Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto that likened her past absence from Senate sessions to that of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, saying the two situations cannot be equated.
De Lima said her non-attendance while she was still a senator was not a matter of choice, as she was under detention at the time to answer what she described as fabricated drug-related cases filed during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
She stressed that, unlike dela Rosa, whom she said is avoiding a possible arrest by the International Criminal Court, she remained in the country and faced the charges against her. All of those cases, she noted, were eventually dismissed.
Despite being incarcerated and having limited access to communication tools, De Lima said she continued to work by filing bills, some of which later became law. She added that legislative work, not physical presence alone, defines a senator’s performance.
De Lima also recalled that during the pandemic, she repeatedly asked Senate leaders to allow her to join plenary sessions and committee hearings online, as virtual participation was already permitted at the time.
She said her continued filing of measures and her efforts to participate in Senate proceedings showed both productivity and intent to fulfill her mandate, even while she was under what she called unjust detention.
