MANILA- Senator Leila de Lima on Friday blasted her successor Vitaliano Aguirre II on allegations that a former senator and a congresswoman tried to bribe inmates to recant their testimonies against her.

Speaking to ANC, De Lima said she does not know how Aguirre came up with the “ridiculous” claim that former Senator Jamby Madrigal, Binan (Laguna) Representative Marlyn "Len" Alonte-Naguiat, and Atty. Alvin Herrera offered P100 million to high-profile inmates to recant their testimonies against De Lima.

• READ: Aguirre tags Jamby, Laguna congresswoman in P100M bribe try

"This is a habit of Sec. Aguirre--coming up with ridiculous claims, unprocessed information and accusations and I really don't know where all of these are coming from,” she said in a phone interview.

De Lima added that she “hardly knows” Madrigal.

"I’ve met her before, that is several years ago about once or twice in an official function but I have no personal connection with her,” she said.

Alonte, on the other hand, was a “personal supporter,” according to De Lima, but dismissed allegations of the bribe try, saying she last met the Laguna lawmaker during the 2016 election campaign.

“Why would she (Alonte) do that? Why would she engage in that act of trying to convince or trying to bribe drug convicts in order to change their testimonies?” she said.

“They have been coming up with a lot of lies just to destroy me,” she added.

Both Madrigal and Alonte have denied Aguirre’s allegations.