The first hearing in the case against Sen. De Lima will lead by Sen. Tito Sotto

The Senate committee on ethics and privileges is set sit down on Tuesday to decide on whether or not to give due course to the complaint filed against Sen. Leila de Lima over her alleged links to the drug trade.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, the committee chair, said Wednesday that  the seven-member body will meet to decide whether the complaint, filed by lawyer Abelardo de Jesus in August, is sufficient in form and substance.

He said the matter of jurisdiction might also be decided on the committee’s meet, its second this session.

“We will decide on Tuesday morning what are the next steps that we will be taking…  We’ll try to settle everything,” Sotto told reporters.

He said the meeting will not be confidential.

The complainant has not been invited, as the committee is still going to make initial discussions on the case.

“We will act on the complaint first. We’ll inform him, we’ll decide what to do next in that particular meeting on Tuesday,” he said.

The committee had first met on Aug. 30, an organizational meeting when members were given copies of the complaint. In filing the ethics complaint, De Jesus said he had no personal knowledge of De Lima’s alleged drug links and that he had based his complaint on President Duterte’s accusations against the Senator.