Priest tells De Lima: Don’t waver despite Duterte’s tirades

A Catholic priest on Friday advised Sen. Leila de Lima to remain persistent in her advocacy of human rights and her opposition to extrajudicial killings despite the recent pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte against her.

Fr. Atillano Fajardo, director of the Archdiocese of Manila’s public affairs ministry, said De Lima should not waver despite the supposed “character assassination” being carried out by the President, as he asked the public to pray for the senator.

“Dapat siyang magpakatatag dahil hindi madali ang ginagawa niya. Huwag patitinag ang ipinaglalaban niya ay para sa bayan. Kaya’t ipagdarasal natin siya,” Fajardo said over church-run Radyo Veritas.

“Tayong lahat ay may pinagdaaanang mga kahinaan, kasalanan, at nabigyan ng pagkakataon na magbago at patawarin. Iyan ang pagkakataon na hindi naibigay sa mga napaslang,” he added.

Amid De Lima’s calls for accountability over the increasing body count in the government’s war against drugs, Duterte on Wednesday slammed De Lima as an “immoral woman,” alleging she had an affair with her driver, who he said collected drug money to fund her campaign.

De Lima, chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, is set to lead the Senate investigation on the administration’s antidrug drive.

As of Aug. 18, the Inquirer’s “Kill List” notes 684 drug-related deaths since June 30 or after Duterte took office./rga