AGRI Partylist Representative Wilbert Lee joins his supporters after being the first to file his candidacy for senator during the first day of filing for Certificates of Candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections in Manila on October 1, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA -- AGRI Party List Representative Wilbert Lee is facing an ethics complaint filed on Monday by Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo and BHW Party List Representative Angelica Natasha Co.

In their complaint, Quimbo and Co said Lee violated the House Rules mandating members to "act at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House".

Their complaint stemmed from the September 25 House plenary deliberations on the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Health, where they felt that Lee conducted himself improperly.

The two lawmakers narrated that during the House plenary debates, Lee "furiously approached" them, who were then sponsoring DOH’s budget. Upon arriving at a "very close distance", they said Lee could be seen pointing "with malicious intent" towards them, while threatening to cause trouble if he was not allowed to speak. 

Quimbo noted that Lee already had the chance to interpellate last September 23.

"Kami ay naging subjects of his acts of aggression… I knew based on his hand movements, he was intending to come towards me. Nakikita ko na sa mukha niya na mayroong form of aggression," said Quimbo.

"He uttered the words: Kung hindi niyo ako pasasalitain, manggugulo ako. And he started pointing at me, and as he was moving forward, sa sobrang takot ko, I ducked behind the podium… Two days before nakapag-interpellate na siya," she added.

READ: DOH budget hearing ends in mic scuffle

Quimbo said that in the aftermath of Lee's "acts of aggression," Co fainted out of stress.

"Maraming hindi nakakaalam na dahil sa sobrang stress po namin, an hour later, nahimatay actually si Cong. Nica… Ganoon katindi 'yung epekto noong acts of aggression sa amin. 'Yung akala ng marami na naiyak kami dahil sa tuwa, dahil finally natapos na 'yung DOH budget hearing, ang totoo po, hindi yun tears of joy. Tears of fear po 'yun. Sobrang takot namin noong time na 'yun," she said.

"Marami namang mikropono sa buong floor, at mayroong rules. Libre ang myembro na magsalita sa kahit anong telepono. Pwede kang mag-raise ng point of order at any point in time. So, hindi po dapat ginagawa 'yun that way," she added.

"He was very near us already, kaya po may takot… Napakalapit na sa personal space mo, 'you will really think na he might do something… It was the first time I felt unsafe," Co also said.

She added that a few days after the incident, "maliciously" spliced videos of it were published on social media pages, prompting negative reactions against her and Quimbo.

"Spliced videos po siya at pinapalabas po na ayaw ko 'yung mga questions niya. Hindi po ganoon," Co stressed.

"Totoong may spliced videos coming from his comms teams. Kung hindi niya man 'yun alam, nangyari na. Kumalat na ang videos… Kami na ang agrabyado, nagawan pa ng spliced videos that will change the storyline of what happened," she added.

The two lawmakers urged the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to penalize Lee for his "unparliamentary actions".

"It took me a long time dahil pinag-isipan talagang mabuti. But at the end of the day, nanimbang talaga 'yung pinaglalaban namin dito, 'yung kaligtasan ng kababaihan sa isang workplace na dapat ligtas talaga eh. Kongreso ito, House of the People. Kung maghahanap ka ng isang ligtas na lugar, siguro naman dapat dito 'yun," Quimbo said.

The House Committee on Appropriations  Senior Vice Chairperson and Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo presides over the hearing scrutinizing the proposed P2.037-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on August 28, 2024.  Handout/House of RepresentativesShe has yet to receive an apology from Lee, but Quimbo said the AGRI Party List Representative wrote a letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Elizaldy Co explaining his behavior last September 25.

READ: Quimbo reminds PhilHealth to speed up 2024 budget spending

"Wala pang apology pa po na tinatanggap. Sa pagkakaalam ko, mayroon siyang written letter of apology na isinubmit kay Chairman Elizaldy Co ng Appropriations Committee. May banggit siya na mayroon siyang behavior na hindi warranted. May banggit din siya na it’s because of his sense of duty… at dahil very passionate lang daw siya sa kanyang adhikain na mabago ang DOH at PhilHealth," Quimbo said.

Co, meanwhile, received an apology from Lee a week after the incident, but she pushed through with the filing  of the complaint to prevent the incident from being a "precedent".

In a statement, Lee said he respects the right of Quimbo and Lee to file an ethics complaint against him, but noted that he did not intend to hurt or bully them.

"Hindi po natin kailanman magiging intensyon ang manakit o mambully," Lee said.

"Iginagalang po natin ito bilang karapatan ng kapwa natin mambabatas," he added.

The Bicolano lawmaker further said that he had no intention to disrespect the institution and that his actions were brought about by his "impassioned advocacy" to put on record the commitments he secured from the Department of Health and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation on lowering the out-of-pocket medical expenses of Filipinos. 

"Naninindigan po tayo sa hangarin nating tugunan na ang kulang-kulang at napakamahal na mga benepisyong pangkalusugan na isiniwalat natin noong nakaraang taon pa, at mahigit isang dekadang hindi inaksyunan ng DOH at PhilHealth," Lee explained.

He noted that he will explain his side once summoned by the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges saying, "Hinihintay lang po natin na makakuha ng opisyal na kopya para makatugon sa nasabing ethics complaint."

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