Lizarraga Maintains He Will Not Be Intimidated

Mark Lizarraga

Wednesday’s meeting was abruptly cancelled at the request of the Opposition, which says there were threats of violence. All things considered, the P.U.P. also says it did not want to provide a motive for the cancellation of the hearings. Senator Lizarraga believes that functionaries of the United Democratic Party are deliberately attempting to intimidate the panel.

Isani Cayetano

“Do you, as a senator on this panel, as someone who is equally as active as your colleague Senator Courtenay, asking questions and what have you, feel as though your safety may be threatened going forward, insofar as these individuals returning to the sessions and, of course, the fact that you will be asking certain questions that may make witnesses uncomfortable and lend for a testy exchange.  Do you at all feel that your safety may be at risk here?”

Mark Lizarraga, Senator for Business Community

“I think that there’s certainly evidence that thuggery and bullying has taken place.  Verbal assaults against anyone that seek to do their job and that at times have differing views on matters before us in the public fray.  I think that bullying and thuggery and verbal abuse and even slander has been a tactic that has been used and I spoke about it in my last interview a few weeks ago.  But what is scary, what is frightening is that it is being employed more and more by those associated with the party in power and those that hold positions of power within that party.  And I believe that thuggery and bullying and intimidation, especially against the very pillars of our democracy, the press and parliamentarians.  These are pillars in our democracy.  I believe that those types of behaviors should never be tolerated, condoned, encouraged, justified or that they should go unanswered.”