The saga continues
SINCE President Rodrigo R. Duterte bared Senator Leila De Lima’s alleged connection to the illegal drug syndicate inside the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP), the latter has time and again vehemently denied it.
Both have also exchanged tirades against each other over media as the former Justice secretary is leading the Senate inquiry on extra-judicial killings under Duterte’s governance while the latter insisted De Lima’s involvement in the drug-related anomalies inside the national penitentiary.
President Duterte in a press conference held in Davao City late Wednesday evening then bared the existence of a matrix, which was released yesterday dawn, tagging De Lima and six others in the alleged narcotics operations in the NBP.
Duterte said the matrix will end Delima’s career in government service, saying she is “finished” and will suffer the consequences come the next elections.
But the senator just shrugged off the matrix, saying it is a “joke” and deserves to be in the garbage can. The matrix tagged her as well as former driver Ronnie Dayan, former DOJ undersecretary Toti Baraan and his brother Raffy Baraan, former Pangasinan governor Amado Espino, board member Raul Espino and former Bureau of Corrections chief retired Gen. Franklin Bucayu.
And just like any Filipino witnessing this Duterte-De Lima saga, we are left wanting on what is going to happen next as their duel has become a national interest that is expected to turn dirty any time. Both are firm on their convictions - the illegal drugs buster and the staunch human rights advocate.
Yet, as they continue to pepper us with the drama, humor and suspense of this hullabaloo, the sad reality remains that the illegal drug trade continues to proliferate and unleash its massive destruction over our youth and infiltrate large numbers of Filipino households.
Death is crouching on the door of drug suspects who are unrelenting and innocents who will become their victims today or in the days to come.
We shiver at the thought that as long as drugs are not eliminated in every purok or barangay, city or municipality and province in the country, more senseless deaths will continue.