Former Senator Panfilo Lacson has criticized what he perceived as a disrespectful takeover of the Senate hearing into the previous administration's controversial war on drugs.

In a statement, Lacson condemned former President Rodrigo Duterte's demeanor before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee probe on Monday, asserting that he had "invaded" the upper chamber of Congress.

He also stressed that only one Senator defended the Senate's dignity from the former President's behavior during the hearing.

"The Upper Chamber was 'invaded' by the former President of the Republic. Only one consistently and steadfastly stood up to preserve the dignity of the Philippine Senate," Lacson said.

"She happens to be a woman who answers, 'present' during a roll call. Her name: Risa Hontiveros," he added.

To recall, Hontiveros in the said Senate hearing repeatedly admonished Duterte for using profanity during the probe.

The former President repeatedly used expletives as he declared his unapologetic stance on illegal drugs, particularly when police are involved.

As response, Hontiveros interjected: "Forgive me for interrupting. Speaking of lengwahe, sorry sir, baka maaaring ang resource person tumigil magmura kasi bahay natin itong Senado."

Hontiveros also stressed that the Filipino people will "never" take pride in the war on drugs, adding that the stories of its victims deserve to be heard and should motivate lawmakers to take action.

"Sa lahat ng nagsasabi na ang war on drugs ay parusa daw para sa mga naliligaw ang landas, my message to you is this: There is no honor in punishment like tokhang," Hontiveros stated.

"It should not be an honor to be called 'The Punisher,' when thousands of innocent people, including babies, have died in your name. Hindi kailanman ipagmamalaki ng mga Pilipino ang war on drugs na yan," she added.