In a speech that was meant to be the first of his weekly reports to the nation about government efforts to contain COVID-19, President Rodrigo Duterte crudely criticized veteran human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, saying the opposition figure lost his senatorial bid because of his oversized chompers.
In a post on social media, Diokno shrugged off the slight and asked the President to focus instead on the needs of the people in this crucial time.
Diokno, who leads the Free Legal Assistance Group, has volunteered to represent a netizen subpoenaed by the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly posting fake news.
As it turns out, the NBI had summoned at least 17 individuals for the online offense of allegedly spreading false information, and maintained that its action was only meant to promote public order.
There is a need to protect the people’s civil liberties as well, Diokno countered, noting that the subpoena did not even mention the specifics of the NBI’s case.
When he appeared before the agency last week to represent his client, Diokno appealed to the bureau: “Let’s not add to the misery of our countrymen in the middle of the pandemic.”