Palace to ignore De Lima, says Palace spokesman

Malacañang will no longer pay attention to detained Senator Leila de Lima’s “vindictive and negative blabbering” including tirades against President Duterte.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said De Lima has become an irrelevant, disgruntled, and failed politician who should be ignored.

“Since it’s coming from her that she should be ignored and apparently agreeing that she has become an irrelevant political entity, then I agree that she should be ignored and I’ll happily oblige her,” Panelo said.

“Henceforth, any rant from her against PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) and the administration, apart from saying that it is coming from a disgruntled and failed politician, such vindictive and negative blabbering is ignored,” he added.

De Lima earlier asked Panelo why he was attacking her with “venomous intensity” if she was now irrelevant. The senator also told Panelo to “cool off,” reminding him that ranting was not an exclusive domain of President Duterte.

Malacañang recently brushed aside De Lima’s “reckless and offensive rants” against the President on his alleged failure to combat terror threats following the recent blasts in Jolo and Zamboanga.

Panelo urged De Lima to focus on meditation and prayers instead after talking nonsense and becoming “a pathetic figure and a pitiful caricature.”

The senator, currently detained for alleged drug involvement, earlier claimed that Duterte was only mighty in words but inept in action in fighting terrorism. She also backed calls for an independent probe on the recent bombings.