Duterte, allies engaging in witchhunt — de Lima
Lawmaker: President is determined to destroy his critics
Embattled senator says Duterte would tag those who are critical of his administration as ‘drug dependent, drug pusher, drug coddlers’ in order to stop his perceived enemies
SEN. Leila de Lima in a privilege speech yesterday likened President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to a new “McCarthyism,” a witchhunt against perceived enemies of the State.
In American history, McCarthyism, a witchhunt of Communists in private and public institutions, was initiated.
Famous silent movie actor Charlie Chaplin was in McCarthy’s list of communist who then had to escape to Switzerland during those dangerous times in American history.
According to de Lima, the Duterte administration is bent to destroy those who express opposition against his administration to the extent of creating lies and tagging those who are critical of his administration as “drug dependent, drug pusher, drug coddlers” in order to stop his perceived enemies.
De Lima said she was surprised that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano announced a “state of safety” and compared the country to Singapore, while the Chief Executive himself declared “a state of lawlessness.”
“So what is it really? Are we in a state of lawlessness? Or lawless safety. It’s called in English language ‘ oxymoron’ with emphasis on ‘moron,’” de Lima said in her speech.
On the eve of the 44th Anniversary of Martial Law, de Lima also asked the senate leadership if the move to oust her as the Senate committee chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights “will help in uncovering the truth or was it a plan to hide the truth?”
“I do not know where this will end. It’s very hard to go against President Duterte. But I believe that all power will vanish. Only truth and justice will remain in the end,” de Lima said.
De Lima maintained strong stand that those who are mentioned by whistleblower Edgar Matobato were part of the Davao Death Squad and should be investigated either by the Commission on Human Rights or even the Senate as an institution.