Solon faces ethics complaint for 'aggression' amid 'mic-grabbing' incident

Senatorial hopeful Agri Representative Wilbert Lee is facing an ethics complaint over "improper conduct" and "disrespectful" behavior during the budget deliberations of the Department of Health (DoH), where he grabbed the microphone from a colleague in an attempt to derail the agency's funding approval.

This comes after Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo and BHW Representative Angelica Natasha Co lodged the complaint on Monday after a "much reflection" on the scuffle that happened on 25 September the last day of the House hearing on the 2025 proposed national budget.

In their complaint, Quimbo and Co, the DoH's budget sponsor, narrated how Lee approached them angrily at the podium.

Upon arriving at a "very close distance," the two claimed Lee pointed with "malicious intent" toward them and threatened to start a disturbance if they wouldn't allow him to interpolate.

"We became the subjects of his acts of aggression... I knew based on his hand movements, he was intending to come towards me. I could see on his face that there was a form of aggression," Quimbo narrated.

Lee had previously moved to defer the DoH budget approval, citing the non-compliance and lack of a comprehensive plan of the agency and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to expand its health coverage despite fund availability amounting to over P500 billion.

On the last day of the budget hearing and the second round for the DoH, Lee allegedly "forcibly" grabbed the microphone from Senior Deputy Minority Leader Paul Daza who moved to terminate the deliberation.

Co, who fainted following the encounter with Lee, who executed "unparliamentary actions," accused the latter of political grandstanding.

"Congressman Lee does everything just to grandstand and gain popularity. He is a fake, merely pretending to be an advocate while aiming for a Senate seat," said Co.

"He was given enough time to interpellate, and his ignorance of the rules does not excuse his disrespect. Hell hath no fury like the public when deceived by a pretender," she added.

In response, Lee said he "respects" Quimbo and Co's decision to file a complaint. He, however, asserted that it was never his intention to "hurt or bully anyone."

"It is also not my intention to disrespect Congress. My actions are the result of a strong desire to address the lack of and very expensive health benefits," he said in the vernacular.

Nevertheless, Lee said that he is ready to explain his side once summoned by the ethics committee.