Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo and Sen. Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Sen. Leila de Lima should resign as聽 senator after admitting her relationship with her former driver and security aide Ronnie Dayan, according to the chief legal counsel of President Rodrigo Duterte.
鈥淭he admission by De Lima on her romantic albeit illegal and immoral liaison with her bodyguard-driver validates the accusation of (President Duterte) that the senator committed unlawful and immoral acts and opens her to聽a criminal charge of adultery her lover being a married man,鈥� Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in a statement on Tuesday.
搁贰础顿:听De Lima finally admits romance with Dayan
Duterte has accused De Lima of being involved in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). The Chief Executive said Dayan was her bagman.
Panelo said De Lima鈥檚 admission bolsters the case filed against the senator.
鈥淚t strengthens the case filed against her on her involvement in the drug operations,鈥� he said.
The chief legal counsel said the neophyte senator could be expelled from the Senate.
鈥淚t opens her to expulsion proceedings in the Senate by the Senate Ethics Committee for immorality and grave misconduct in office, apart from opening herself to a disbarment proceeding as a member of the bar for immorality and unethical conduct,鈥� he said.
鈥淭o save the Senate from further embarrassment, she must voluntarily resign,鈥� he added.
Panelo said De Lima 鈥渉as herself to blame for the present destructive predicament she is in.鈥�
鈥淲ith her aforesaid admission, President Duterte has been vindicated on his accusations against De Lima and put a lie to her pretended protestations of innocence and her cry of being a victim of persecution,鈥� he said.聽JE/rga
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