黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� 鈥淭his is not a laughing matter.鈥�

This was said by opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros when she rejected attempts to turn the Senate鈥檚 drug war probe into a laughing stock on Monday.

Hontiveros鈥� comment came after Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada jokingly asked why former President Rodrigo Duterte was not panning his head towards his left.

鈥淗indi ho kayo tumingin sa kaliwa. Nagpapansinan na ba ho kayo ni [ex] Sen. Leila de Lima?鈥� asked Estrada.

(It seems like you are not looking towards the left. Are you and Leila de Lima now on good terms?)

Duterte was seated only one seat apart next to de Lima.

De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte, was accused of being involved in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison and arrested in 2017.

Last June 24, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court acquitted her in the last drug-related case filed against her by the Duterte administration.

READ: De Lima acquitted in last drug case

For his part, Duterte played off Estrada鈥檚 remarks and replied, 鈥淲ala [na]mang maganda riyan, dito lang (There鈥檚 no one beautiful over there, just here).鈥�

At this point, Hontiveros quickly interjected, ending attempts to make the inquiry a laughing matter.

鈥淟ead us in setting the tone. This is not a laughing matter,鈥� she said, insinuating that the Senate鈥檚 second top official should take heed in setting an example during the hearing.

Estrada then said he was only trying to lighten the mood.

The Senate on Monday launched its investigation into the Philippine war on illegal drugs.

Led by Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III, the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee focused on the Duterte administration鈥檚 brutal anti-drug campaign dubbed as Oplan Tokhang.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency listed 6,252 dead in anti-drug police operations from July 1, 2016, to May 31, 2022.

A 2017 year-end report attributed to the Office of the President, however, listed more than 20,000 dead in the first 17 months of the Duterte administration.