Former Senator Leila De Lima criticized former President Rodrigo Duterte for making a gesture during Wednesday's Quad Committee hearing at the House of Representatives, which seemed as if he was about to throw a punch at her.
In an ambush interview with reporters, the former senator said she was initially unaware of Duterte's gesture while she was responding to questions from lawmakers.
"Actually hindi ko po'yun nakita kasi sumasagot ako non, diba? until may dalawa o tatlo sa akin nag-message…. Mayroon pa isa na nagpadala ng video mismo," said De lima.
De Lima added that she was offended by the former president's gesture, calling it a "cowardly act."
"That was so unbecoming, that was offensive kasi wala na siyang any sense of decency, ang tawag diyan, indecency na wala naman ako ginagawa sa kanya tapos ganun ang reaction niya," said the former Senator.
"Ang isa pang tawag diyan, kaduwagan. Isa siyang duwag," she added.
Duterte’s gesture came after De Lima’s comments on his statement of taking "full responsibility" for his anti-drug campaign and his apparent refusal to mention her by name during the hearing.
"Hindi nga niya po masabi 'yung pangalan ko. Ayaw niya pong kilalanin kung sino 'yung dating Commission on Human Rights chairperson...Nagtataka po ako doon, he's lying when he said that he does not know Leila de Lima. How can he say that he does not know Leila de Lima?," De lima stressed.
A prominent critic of Duterte, De Lima was detained for nearly seven years on allegations linking her to the illegal drug trade at the National Bilibid Prison. Her accusers later retracted their claims, leading to the dismissal of the charges.
The two sat beside each other during Wednesday's committee hearing on extrajudicial killings and Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
