De Lima deplores ‘inaccuracies’ on Duterte drug list
Senator and former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
There were indications that the list of alleged drug personalities named by President Rodrigo Duterte was “inaccurate,” Senator Leila de Lima said on Monday.
De Lima cited, for instance, a person who already died but was still included on the list. She was apparently referring to Judge Roberto Navidad of Regional Trial Court 32 in Calbayog City, Samar, who was reportedly killed inside his vehicle by an unidentified suspect on January 15, 2008.
READ: Samar judge tagged by Duterte as drug protector died 8 years ago
“Sana ‘yung listahan na ‘yan, so far 100 plus na iba-iba — pati may judges na, may mga LGUs (local government units), may mga policemen — sana accurate ‘yan; sana talagang dumaan sa masusing validation,” she said in an interview with Senate reporters.
(I hope that list which has 100 plus names so far — even names of judges, LGUs, policemen – I hope it’s accurate; I really hope it went through thorough validation.)
“Pero may ilan-ilang indication na mukhang hindi accurate; meron ngang namatay na, merong namang sa ibang position yata, and then sa totoo rin lang, personally no, may ilan-ilan dung pangalan… na kilala ko rin bilang public figures. Hindi ko naman talaga sila kilala on a personal level pero kilala ko sila as public figures, ilan-ilan ha… maybe a handful na parang mahirap paniwalaan na kasama sila dyan, na involved sila sa drugs.”
(But there are some indications that show it’s not accurate; there is one who already died, another who has a different position; and honestly, personally, there are some names there… that I know as public figures. I don’t really know them on a personal level but I know them as public figures, some of them… maybe a handful whom I find hard to believe to be involved in drugs.)
But De Lima noted Duterte’s word that he had validated the list and that he would take responsibility if there were names that should have not been included on the drug list.
“You know, shini-shield na niya saan mang mga sources ‘yan — whether from the military or from the PNP (Philippine National Police), from the intel — na kung may mali man dyan ay sagot ng Pangulo, and it’s not fair actually sa Pangulo na aakuin niya ‘yung kamalian ng ibang sources niya. So sana kung may ebidensya, sana kasuhan na kaagad kesa ‘yung ganiyan,” she stressed.
(You know, he’s shielding where his sources come from — whether from the military or from the PNP (Philippine National Police), from the intel – that if there is an inaccuracy, the President will answer for it, and it’s actually not fair for him to own the mistakes of his sources. So if there’s evidence, I hope they get charged immediately.)
Asked how she thinks the President could be made accountable when he has immunity from suits while in office, the senator said: “’Yun na nga po, ganun din po ang tanong ko. So mixed talaga ang reaction natin dyan (That is also my question. There is mixed reaction to this).”
“As much as we’d really take our hats off to the President dyan sa mga bold moves na ‘yan, pero sana the lawyer in him ay napapakingan niya ang sarili niya when the lawyer in him would start to think about the repercussions ng ganiyang approach,” said de Lima, former Justice Secretary.
(As much as we’d really take our hats off to the President for his bold moves, I hope he listens to the lawyer in him when it would start to think about the repercussions of this approach.)
The senator also acknowledged that the President could not be forced to divulge the source or sources of the list, saying: “We can always ask the President but we can’t impose on him. We can’t dictate on him kung ano ang nararapat sa tingin niya kasi he’s owning up to it and then he’s taking responsibility tama man o mali ang kaniyang listahan (We can’t dictate on him what should be done because he’s owning up to it and then he’s taking responsibility whether his list is correct or incorrect).”
“So para bang naisip niya na sorry na lang dun sa mga napapangalangan, sorry na lang sa kanila if it turns out na [inosente sila] (So it’s as if he’s thinking, sorry to those who were names, sorry if it turns out if they’re innocent).”
Asked again if Duterte should apologize to those who had been wrongly accused of involvement in illegal drugs, De Lima said: “It’s for the President to do that. It’s for the President to apologize kung nagkakamali.” JE/rga
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