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| Sen. Leila De Lima reads a statement Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, at the Philippine Senate in suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File | By Kristian Javier via Philstar |
MANILA, Philippines — Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said Sen. Leila de Lima should voluntarily resign after admitting her affair with Ronnie Dayan.
"To save the Senate from further embarrassment she must voluntarily resign," Panelo said in a statement.
De Lima has admitted the affair with her former driver-bodyguard, saying that she fell for him due to the "frailties of a woman."
“We became so close that's it because I trusted him and siyempre naano po ang loob ko,” she said in an interview with GMA-7’s "Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie" show which aired on Monday evening.
Panelo added that with her admittance, De Lima validated the accusations of President Rodrigo Duterte of said affair, and opens her to a criminal charge of adultery due to Dayan being a married man.
He also said the senator's admittance further strengthens the case regarding her involvement in drug operations inside the New Bilibid prison, which opens herself up to expulsion proceedings by the Senate Ethics Committee for immorality.
De Lima, however, has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Panelo added that De Lima may also face disbarment proceedings, the removal of a lawyer from the bar association, for immorality and unethical conduct.
"She has herself to blame for the present destructive predicament she is in," Panelo said.
In a separate statement, De Lima said that she hopes the public will respect the privacy of her personal life and to not impute any more malice.
"My record and my reputation have been untarnished until now because of all this unjust, unfair and false allegations and fabricated lies against my alleged involvement in the drug trade," De Lima said.
De Lima further added that she is now even more determined to pursue her goal to stop the extrajudicial killings and summary executions in the country "despite the danger to my life and my reputation."
De Lima has admitted the affair with her former driver-bodyguard, saying that she fell for him due to the "frailties of a woman."
Panelo added that with her admittance, De Lima validated the accusations of President Rodrigo Duterte of said affair, and opens her to a criminal charge of adultery due to Dayan being a married man.
De Lima, however, has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Panelo added that De Lima may also face disbarment proceedings, the removal of a lawyer from the bar association, for immorality and unethical conduct.
"She has herself to blame for the present destructive predicament she is in," Panelo said.
In a separate statement, De Lima said that she hopes the public will respect the privacy of her personal life and to not impute any more malice.
"My record and my reputation have been untarnished until now because of all this unjust, unfair and false allegations and fabricated lies against my alleged involvement in the drug trade," De Lima said.
De Lima further added that she is now even more determined to pursue her goal to stop the extrajudicial killings and summary executions in the country "despite the danger to my life and my reputation."
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