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Bato

Sherrie Ann Torres

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:548px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17151456057958a2411a30afe9abda6134f6608ee5c845ab2745ce3ebd42b0d200c6d07c5ba0d.jpg" style="width:548px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Sen. Bato dela Rosa. Senate PRIB/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — House lawmakers on Wednesday took turns lambasting the Senate and Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa for allowing a committee investigation dragging the President&#x27;s name into the supposed “PDEA leaks&quot; of confidential documents.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/1/-bato-insists-pdea-leaked-documents-authentic-says-paper-not-ai-generated-1932">READ: &#x27;Bato&#x27; insists PDEA &#x27;leaked&#x27; documents authentic, says paper not AI-generated</a></div><p>House Deputy Speaker David &quot;Jay-Jay&quot; Suarez said Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee, should not have relied on mere hearsay on his investigation into the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency documents.</p><p>&quot;I expect more from the Senate leadership... Why are we talking about the document kung leak lang?&quot; Suarez asked.</p><p>Suarez was referring to the allegations made by former PDEA agent Jonathan Morales, who alleged that he has a list of supposed big-time personalities engaged in the use of illegal drugs. The list supposedly included then Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and actress Maricel Soriano.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/7/maricel-soriano-attends-senate-probe-on-pdea-leaks-1130">READ: Maricel Soriano attends Senate probe on &#x27;PDEA leaks&#x27;</a></div><p>What’s more concerning, Suarez said, is that two hearings have already been held into the &quot;PDEA leaks&quot; despite the absence of concrete evidence of the alleged drug use.</p><p>Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday said that while Senate committees have the right to exercise their oversight functions, hearings should not become a &quot;a political circus or political witchhunt.&quot;</p><p>&quot;While certain claims were made, documentary evidence is yet to be presented,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Even the drug test of the president is being brought up even though it does not appear to be germane or important to the subject matter of the motu propio investigation.&quot;</p><p>Dela Rosa said Tuesday he is not looking to persecute anyone but wants to find out how a confidential document like a PDEA pre-operation report could have been leaked to the public.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/7/senators-condemn-ex-pdea-agent-over-hearsay-testimony-1606">READ: Senators condemn ex-PDEA agent over &#x27;hearsay&#x27; testimony</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;DISGRACEFUL&#x27;</strong></div><p>For Rep. Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales, the inquiry conducted by Dela Rosa was &quot;disgraceful&quot; and diminished the integrity of the Senate.</p><p>“Nakakababa ng integridad ng Senado... Hindi kami bumababa sa ganitong issue. Lalong-lalo na kasinungslingan... Maling-mali ang ginagawa nila,” Khonghun said.</p><p>(The probe was a disgrace for the Senate. We at the House don&#x27;t go that low. All lies. The Senate is so wrong for holding this hearing.)</p><p>Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong echoed his colleague&#x27;s statement.</p><p>“The Senate is losing its integrity... Please protect the integrity of the Senate,” Adiong said.</p><p>AKO BIKOL party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, meanwhile, directly castigated Dela Rosa for taking Morales seriously even if the latter cannot produce a document to back his claims.</p><p> “I am very disappointed with the way Senator Dela Rosa conducts the hearing. The witness is a pathological liar who perjured himself,”  Bongalon said.</p><p>The lawmakers also urged the public not to support any destabilization plot, saying that everyone will suffer if that succeeds. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/acU8mPqSOFo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>House Deputy Speaker Jay-Jay Suarez said Dela Rosa should not have relied on mere hearsay.</p>

House Deputy Speaker Jay-Jay Suarez said Dela Rosa should not have relied on mere hearsay.

House lawmakers slam Bato, Senate over 'disgraceful' PDEA leaks probe

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House lawmakers slam Bato, Senate over 'disgraceful' PDEA leaks probe

Sherrie Ann Torres,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 08, 2024 02:32 PM PHT

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House

Housen of Representatives

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