Senate Justice Committee Chairmanship: De Lima Out, Gordon In

A sudden change has occurred in the Senate session on Monday afternoon after the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights chairman and members were changed.

Senator Leila de Lima was ousted from being the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights after 16 members of Senate voted to declare the chairmanship and the entire membership of the body vacant.

The neophyte senator and boxer, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, moved to declare the chairmanship and membership vacant, following the privilege speech of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

Senate committee on justice
Sen. Leila de Lima walking out in the midst of Sen. Cayetano’s privilege speech.

In his privilege speech, Cayetano slammed De Lima and the entire committee in connection to the Senate inquiry on extrajudicial killings in the country where Edgar Matobato, a self-acclaimed former member of the Davao Death Squad, was presented and pinned down President Rodrigo Duterte in the series of killings in Davao City when he was still the mayor.

According to Cayetano, De Lima used the Senate to “destroy” Pres. Duterte and the House of Senate as an institution.

In the middle of the senator’s speech, De Lima left the session hall, telling the waiting members of the press outside of the Senate that she could not stomach the words of Cayetano.

WATCH: The video of De Lima walking out in the midst of Cayetano’s privilege speech on the next page.

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