Diokno hits Duterte for likening Constitution to ‘toilet paper’

Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno on Saturday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for belittling the 1987 Constitution for saying that China would tell him to use it as “toilet paper.”

“Di na dapat tawaging Pangulo si Duterte sapagka’t ang pwestong iyan ay galing sa 1987 Constitution na sabi niya’y pampahid lang ng pwet,” Diokno started off in a series of tweets.

[Duterte should no longer be called President because that position comes from the 1987 Constitution, which he said was something with which to wipe your butt.]

Diokno was reacting to Duterte’s statement that China would only tell him to use the Constitution as “toilet paper” should he use it to assert the country’s claims in the West Philippine Sea.

“I will go there, tell them to get out, this is the Constitution. They will tell me, you run out of toilet paper, use it. You present to me a Constitution like this and we have this ruckus claiming the same place in our jurisdiction,” the President told reporters in Malacañang on Thursday.

READ: Duterte on impeachment proponents: I’ll jail them all

Di na dapat tawaging Pangulo si Duterte sapagka’t ang pwestong iyan ay galing sa 1987 Constitution na sabi niya’y pampahid lang ng pwet.

— Chel Diokno (@ChelDiokno) June 29, 2019

Diokno went on to say that the 16 million people who voted for Duterte cannot call him as President for invalidating the Constitution, where it stated the right to suffrage.

Di rin niya pwedeng sabihin na siya’y binoto ng 16 milyon na Pilipino sapagka’t ang karapatang bumoto ay nanggagaling din sa 1987 Constitution na kanya’y binabasura.

— Chel Diokno (@ChelDiokno) June 29, 2019

“Sabihin na natin ang katotohanan: walang iginagalang na batas si Duterte kundi yung nanggagaling sa kanyang bibig,” he added. “Kahit mga utos ng Diyos ay walang kwenta sa kanya.”

[Let’s just state the truth: Duterte respects no law expect that which emanates from his mouth. Even the commandments of God are nothing to him.]

“Imbis na pangulo, tawagin na lang natin siyang emperador — emperador na hubad at huwad.”

[Instead of President, let’s call him emperor — a fake emperor without clothes.]

Sabihin na natin ang katotohanan: walang iginagalang na batas si Duterte kundi yung nanggagaling sa kanyang bibig. Kahit mga utos ng Diyos ay walang kwenta sa kanya.

Imbis na pangulo, tawagin na lang natin siyang emperador — emperador na hubad at huwad.

— Chel Diokno (@ChelDiokno) June 29, 2019

Diokno was one of the “Otso Diretso” senatorial bets who ran — and lost — in the 2019 mid-term elections.

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)