AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee

Senatorial aspirant AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee insists that he is neither a violent person nor a bully. 

Lee had this to say Monday, Oct. 14 shortly after two of his colleagues in the House of Representatives--Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo and BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha--filed an ethics complaint against him. 

“Hindi po natin kailanman magiging intensyon ang manakit o mambully (It will never be my intention to hurt someone or be a bully)," the neophyte legislator said in a statement. 

Regarding the complaint filed the lady solons, Lee said: “Iginagalang po natin ito bilang karapatan ng kapwa natin mambabatas." 

(I respect this as part of the rights of our fellow lawmakers.) 

Quimbo and Co's complaint chastised Lee for alleged " improper conduct" during the plenary deliberation on the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Health (DOH). 

Quimbo in particular claimed that Lee's "aggressive" action included his alleged attempt to hit her. This, after he allegedly got angry for not being able to ask questions on the DOH's outlay this year. 

In defending himself, Lee said that he had no intention to disrespect the institution and that his action was brought upon by his "impassioned advocacy" to put on record the commitments he secured from the DOH and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on lowering the out-of-pocket medical expenses of Filipinos. 

Lee had successfully pushed for the 30 percent increase in PhilHealth benefits, which was implemented last Feb. 14. 

It can be recalled that Bicol lawmaker deferred the budget of DOH and its attached agencies during the House plenary debates on Sept. 23 due to his dissatisfaction over its lack of urgency and inaction on expanding PhilHealth benefit coverage despite the state health insurer’s billions of available funds. 

Two days later, the House plenary approved on third and final reading the P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2025 ,which included the DOH budget. 

Lee stated that he will explain his side once summoned by the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges. He said he has yet to get an official copy of the complaint.