De Lima to Duterte: ‘Time to do some serious soul-searching’

President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Leila de Lima. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Noticing the amount of hate that President Rodrigo Duterte is receiving on social media, Senator Leila De Lima said the chief executive must consider doing soul-searching.

“I don’t know if Mr. Duterte realizes that more and more people hate him. Really hate him,” De Lima said in a statement on Saturday.

The senator said that Duterte received “spiteful comments” on social media even on his own birthday, noting that “even the dictator Marcos or Gloria Arroyo” did not receive such hate.

“I haven’t seen any other Philippine President in recent memory, or even in our distant history, eliciting so much hatred and contempt,” De Lima said.

“Not even the dictator Marcos or Gloria Arroyo had invited such level of authentic scorn or virulence,” she added.

While recognizing Duterte’s critics online, De Lima said that that the president’s “supporters remain fanatical, oblivious of his many sins”.

“That’s what fanaticism is all about—a blind devotion, coupled with a perverse notion about the invincibility of a demagogue idol,” the senator added.

The senator then advised Duterte to do soul-searching to reflect.

“Time to do some serious soul-searching, Mr. President,” De Lima said.

“Are you still capable of bringing any good or righteous normalcy to our country? Or is it now a road to perdition all the way? Are you even capable of pure enlightenment?” she added.