Drug charges vs De Lima are true – Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — If President Rodrigo Duterte is to be believed, the drug charges against detained Sen. Leila de Lima are true.

Duterte rehashed the allegations against De Lima, one of his fiercest critics in his brutal war on drugs. 

He slammed human rights advocates who have condemned his anti-narcotics campaign that has killed over 5,000 mostly poor drug suspects.

“The greatest insult that I have received from these people is they refused to understand that the case against De Lima is true and accurate. They took the line of the left that she is a political prisoner,” he said in a speech at the 80th  anniversary of the Department of National Defense at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“On my oath as President, I’m telling you, it is true,” he added.

De Lima has been detained at the custodial center of the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame since February 2017 for drug-related charges.

The opposition senator allegedly allowed the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the national penitentiary during her term as justice secretary. 

She allegedly got kickbacks from these drug trafficking activities.

The President said De Lima did this to fund her senatorial bid in 2016.

“If she really did collect money, why? She was not into business but ambitions can blind you. That is why you need money to run for senator. You need millions to do that,” he said. 

“She does not have any business. I have not heard that she owns a mall. Where do you get the money when you run? And that started everything. It always sometimes to go to — greed or if you aspire for things which you cannot afford and really want to get it,” he added.

De Lima won a Senate seat in May 2016.

Sex scandal

Duterte, a self-confessed womanizer, again brought up the alleged sex scandal of De Lima with her driver.

“She allowed to be filmed when she was having sexual intercourse with her driver, who was the collector. And that picture has been making the rounds. You saw it all,” he said.

He even dared to share the video of De Lima to prove that his allegations were true.

“Can you really believe a woman like that? Allowing herself… She was then the Justice Secretary. And if you want, I will give the disc to you. Look at the way she slurped after doing it,” he added. 

“And she does not deny it now. Maybe she would tell us that those are fake. Well, we can submit it to any expert if you want. That was a part of a bad dream. And she’s making a crazy course to everybody to write unfair,” he added.

Duterte made tirades against De Lima as the opposition senator marked her 1000th day in detention.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1192109/supporters-colleagues-mark-1000th-day-of-de-limas-unjust-detention

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1192229/fwd-de-lima-on-1000th-day-in-jail-i-have-never-been-defeated

GSG