House Speaker Martin Romualdez wanted incoming Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima's "immediate answer" when he asked her to be part of the prosecution team in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.
And she said yes.
In an interview with House reporters Thursday, May 15, the former senator and Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary described how she was recruited by Romualdez into joining the prosecution panel in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
De Lima said she had heard rumors earlier that she and incoming Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno were going to be tapped by the House leadership for this purpose.
"Yesterday afternoon around 4 o' clock, tumawag nga (he called), I got a call from Speaker Romualdez and he told me about it. First he congratulated me and then he said they would be delighted or it would be good for the prosecution team if I joined them," she said.
"Sinabi rin niya na mayroon ding ganun offer kay Atty. Chel (He also said there was a similar offer made to Atty Chel). So when he asked about it, 'Are you amenable? Do you agree?' Sabi ko, OK (I said, OK)," recounted De Lima.
"Although at first I said, 'Can I give it serious thought and consideration?' And sabi niya (he said), 'We need your immediate answer because we're making plans already,' etc. So I said yes," she added.
De Lima said he consulted afterward with ML Party-list and her lawyers.
Asked why she accepted Romualdez’s offer, De Lima answered: "It's a matter of duty, it's a matter of principle, it's a matter of conscience. I always stand for truth, justice, and accountability."