SENATOR Leila de Lima is not buckling down in the investigation on alleged extra-judicial killings in the war on drugs of the current administration despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent tirades. “De Lima was just doing her job”. He accused her of adultery, supporting the drug addiction of her so-called lover, and also accused her of accepting dirty money to support her campaign. I kept quiet because you are a lady.
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If she will be afforded by the government the opportunity, she would explain herself and give her side, she said.
“I have always been loyal to my oath as a public servant”.
“I am not the enemy here”.
In closing, Hontiveros expressed, “I hope that the Senate, as an institution, will rise to the challenge and defend the integrity of one of its members, even as it tries to find ways to peacefully and prudently resolve this matter”. Those money came readily from her.
Pangilinan said the accusations against de Lima are “unfair”.
But if the President were bent on destroying her, De Lima said, Duterte should have the decency to spare her colleagues, friends and family.
But she decided she must not be cowed. “I guess no one can because no one has ver been attacked in such a manner by no less than the highest official of the land until now”, emotional De Lima said.
“How does one defend oneself, when the attacker is immune from suit, and has all the backing of executive power to support him in his personal attack?” “This is no less than abuse and misuse of executive power”, the senator said. “It’s not true the President delivered a personal attack on her”, Panelo said.
Watch De Lima’s full speech on the video replay below.
The hearing, set on August 22 and 23, goes into the heart of the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the President. “And I did not expect the President to do that”. I would no longer stand as the public’s representative in the Senate. That would be my fake figure standing there. “It would seem that I have buried my own person”.
“Until now, there’s not a single salvaging case filed against the President”, Panelo added. “If stopping the Senate investigation is the only way for these personal attacks by the President and his men to also stop, believe me I have already thought about that”, she said.
“I will respond in a proper forum”.
“May I reiterate my remarks when the President apologized for his “harsh words” against Chief Justice Sereno: that he is President of all 100 million plus Filipinos, and that his public statements – what he says and how he says it – affect all of us”, he said. “I ask the nation to continue praying for me, the nation and the President”, she said.
“Pangulo po kayo, senador lamang po ako”. I am only a senator. “They are misogynistic”, Hontiveros’ statement began.
“His statements depart from the government’s commitment to transparency since one of the best ways to pursue truth is through healthy deliberations driven by facts”, Hontiveros said.
She described Duterte’s attacks as “unpresidential” and a “breach of parliamentary courtesy”. “It unnecessarily sets the executive and Senate on a unsafe collision course”, Hontiveros added. “When Mr. Duterte himself was called names by his detractors, people came to his defense and bullied his critics”, Secillano said.
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“The President is “unique”, he added.
