Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (MNS Photo)
MANILA, June 4 (Mabuhay) – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday refused to answer allegations that she had illicit affairs with at least two married men.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada raised the issue about de Lima’s supposed affairs during the justice chief’s confirmation hearing before the bicameral Commission on Appointments.
“I do not want to publicly engage insofar as those issues are concerned. It’s too demeaning for me,” de Lima told Estrada.
She said she will give a written response to the allegations by whistleblower Sandra Cam, which also include other claims of misdemeanor as justice chief.
De Lima said in an interview that she had no intention of remarrying even though she was seeing someone.
“Our marriage has been officially annulled so now I am legally single by judicial decree. I committed to myself that I won’t remarry. I don’t know. I just don’t want. I guess because the kind of life that I have, stressful life, it’s an understatement. It’s a stressful daily life with all the schedules. I feel I would not be doing justice to my partner if he will be brought into relationship,” she said.
Cam is the first to claim de Lima had illicit affairs, saying she would not have raised the allegations if she could not prove it.
She claimed that while de Lima’s marriage has been annulled, “the other party is married.”
Asked if the alleged affairs would affect de Lima’s work, Cam said:
“Well, I can say yes or no right now pero morally, if you will be working in the government, kailangan above suspicion.”
Cam has also accused de Lima of inaction on several issues, including a fact-finding report recommending charges against former Bureau of Corrections chief Gaudencio Pangilinan and the sex-for-flight scam targeting overseas Filipino workers. (MNS)