Former socialist MP Romualda Fernandes, as well as PAN spokesperson Inês Sousa Real, corroborated on Tuesday the words of PS MP Isabel Moreira, who reported racist and misogynistic insults directed at female MPs by the Chega party. 

"I confirm that it happened and I am able to identify the MP who made these offenses against me. Crossing paths with him in the hallway to the Assembly, I was going to a committee meeting, to the committee room, when I opened the door, in broad daylight, he looked at me and said 'good evening'. I took that as an offense and I understood what it was about," said Romualda Fernandes, in statements to SIC Notícias, after being asked if she had been the victim of insults by Chega MPs. 

"He laughed, by the tone, by the jocular way he said it, and continued laughing," added the former MP, also mentioning that she met "that same person" again at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on Foreign Affairs and that he "looked again" and "laughed". 

Romualda Fernandes, ex-deputada do PS, afirma que deputado do Chega fez uma piada racista num encontro entre ambos. Adianta que a queixa foi apresentada numa reunião do grupo parlamentar do PS, mas não seguiu em frente

️ SIC Notícias pic.twitter.com/DIyEyPPh3p

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Romualda Fernandes said she did not know "the name" of the MP in question, but assured that she was "able to identify him," recalling that she had already reported this episode previously. 

"It is an offense, I felt it as an offense, and it was intended to offend me", she stressed. The former MP recalled that, at the time, the issue was brought to a meeting of the PS parliamentary group, which "said it would take" the matter to the leaders' conference, "but nothing happened". 

Inês Sousa Real also confirmed this type of insult. "Unfortunately, yes. We know that these situations, this persistent bullying by Chega is nothing new", said the PAN leader, in statements to the same television station. 

"The origin is always the same parliamentary group. Ventura has to stop complaining," she added.

The MP also argued that "Chega should not threaten" with legal proceedings and considered that "Chega MPs will have to stop hiding behind the skirts" of the party's president and take responsibility "for what they say". 

"People at home have to know that no, it is not legitimate, it is not correct, for an MP to address someone saying 'good evening' based on their skin color or, when a female MP stands up to speak, they start imitating cows or start, for example, talking about their body condition or start making fun of someone for being shorter. This is childish! Several episodes have already happened to me", she reported.

Inês Sousa Real also recalled when, a few years ago, she suffered a fall, in which she fractured two vertebrae: "I heard things like 'see if you don't fall again'". 

"This is not freedom of expression", she argued.

It should be recalled that the issue was again under discussion after, this Tuesday, in an interview with Observador, Isabel Moreira, a PS MP, revealed alleged episodes of racism and misogyny that had the Chega party as the protagonist. 
 
In these statements, the socialist reported insults related to sexual orientation, female MPs called "cow" and sounds imitating 'moos' in which the targets are, most of the time, women.

"When we are walking in the hallways of the Assembly of the Republic or in the hallways of the hemicycle to speak, I have heard things like cow, moos or names that are usually called to female MPs who are openly lesbian," she told the same outlet. 

Isabel Moreira also reported the episode now confirmed by Romualda Fernandes, referring to situations in which, at noon, a 'good evening' was addressed to a black female MP: "Which is a normal thing to say at noon to a black person," she said ironically.

The alleged cases always occur "with the microphone turned off, so that they are not heard and so that they are only heard by the people who are insulting," stressed the socialist, considering that there is a "hellish, unbearable daily life" in Parliament, due to "an offense and permanent insult". 

André Ventura was questioned today about the accusation by the PS MP, and claimed that his parliamentary group is the "most attacked" and said that he had already greeted Isabel Moreira "several times" and had no response.

"I don't know what racism she [MP Isabel Moreira] is talking about, we are the only party that has black people in Parliament," he also made a point of emphasizing. 

Later, Ventura came to announce that Chega will proceed with legal proceedings against Isabel Moreira if she does not present evidence of the racist and misogynistic insults she accused the party of.

"Because it was serious to say that Chega has this type of behavior when she knows perfectly well that her party colleagues have the same or worse behavior with us, and with me in particular," he said, in statements to journalists.

"If there is evidence, we will be here to analyze it, but now accusations like this are not made without evidence," he concluded.

[News updated at 7:56 pm]

Read also: Chega threatens to sue Isabel Moreira, asks for evidence for accusations (Portuguese version)