De Lima dares Duterte: Arrest me now!
President downplays embattled lawmaker’s emotional outburst
“ARE you real men? You are cowards. You are fools and liars. Are these the bunch of officials we have now.”
That was the statement of Sen. Leila de Lima as she challenged President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday to arrest her right away if there is evidence that will prove that she is on the take in the illegal drug trade at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“Enough. Just arrest me. If this is what you want. Here I am. Arrest me now,” de Lima said.
De Lima suspects that the socalled riot at the NBP earlier in the day that killed a high-profile inmate is a message from Malacañang to other inmates to cooperate in implicating her or the same
De Lima suspects that the so-called riot at the NBP earlier in the day that killed a high-profile inmate is a message from Malacañang to other inmates to cooperate in implicating her or the same may happen to them
may happen to them.
“We are worse than a narco state. We are now an assassin state espousing summary killings and murder as state policy against its perceived enemies,” de Lima said.
The so-called recent riot at the NBP killed-high profile inmate Tony Co and injured inmate, like Peter Co, Vicente Sy and Jaybee Sebastian. (See separate story story below)
De Lima said the President and his men are desperate and they are really trying to cover up the extrajudicial killings and concocting stories to cover up the Davao Death Squad and linking her to illegal activities to stop her from investigating the EJK and Duterte’s links to the Davao Death Squad.
“The nation and the world is laughing at you. I am decent. Enough. I am not involved in illegal drugs. You are harassing even my former officials and former staff,” de Lima said.
“But sorry. I am not going to leave this country. I am not a coward. I have not committed a sin. I will not seek an asylum. My parents taught me not to run away from problem. They taught me to be strong. The truth is on my side. I will stand my ground no matter what,” she said.
The former justice secretary turned-senator said the admission of Duterte that he committed a mistake by his recent apology to three official in Pangasinan only shows that his information is not reliable.
“President Duterte’s apology is a clear admission that there is really nothing in that ridiculous drug matrix that links me to the illegal drug trade. It is tragic that the highest official of the land has not only been fed lies and wrong information but also has listened to rumors and intrigues,” she said.
The alleged drug matrix, was earlier described by de Lima as nothing but trash and should not be given any grain of credibility.
Recently, Duterte apologized for tagging former Pangasinan governor and now Rep. Amado Espino, Board Member Raul Sison and Raffy Baraan to the illegal drugs.
President Duterte, meanwhile, played down yesterday Senator de Lima’s slamming of his administration for probing her alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade in the NBP.
“What will I do to her? I will recommend her to Viva Films or ABS-CBN,” Duterte said in a press conference held at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before he left the country for a visit to Vietnam.