Aquino administration ‘hell bent on decapitating’ opposition—Revilla

Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. lashed at the Aquino administration,  which he said was “hell bent on decapitating the opposition at all costs” and at Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, whom he described as “publicity hungry.”

“It looks like this administration is hell bent on decapitating the opposition at all costs – even if it tramples upon our basic rights enshrined in no less than the constitution,” Revilla said in a statement on Friday.

“We have a Secretary of Justice who is just more than willing to disrespect the law to pursue her own agenda. What is ironic is that she used to be the chair of the Commission on Human Rights but it seems that to her, basic human rights is something that can be utterly disregarded,” he said.

Revilla issued the statement a day after the Department of Justice asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel his passport and that of Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and 34 others charged with plunder at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the P10 billion “pork barrel” funds scam.

This  latest move to “unilaterally label incumbent senators who just so happen to belong to opposition, as threats to national security,” he said, was  more than “absurd and “cause for alarm.”

“Kung ganitong kadali nila ito gawin, paano pa kung ang involved ay mga ordinaryong mamamayan? (If they could do this so easily how much more if it involves ordinary citizens?)” he lamented.

Revilla reminded De Lima of her pronouncement not to make any remarks as the case has already been filed at the Ombudsman.

“She recognized the fact that it was no longer under her jurisdiction.  She said she would no longer make comments, pero, heto ngayon at kung ano-ano pa ang sinasabi (but now, she’s saying a lot of things),” he said.

“Her statements belie her claim of neutrality and objectivity, and expose her true disposition and bias.  Dahil sa kanyang katakawan sa publicity, sa kanyang ambisyong pulitikal, at sa kanyang hangarin pagpasikat, binabalewala niya ang batas (Because of her hunger for publicity, political ambition and desire for publicity, she ignored the law),” he added.

Revilla lamented that although no case has yet been filed in court they were already convicted.

“Paano kaming magtitiwala ng mayroon pang due process kung hindi pa nga nagsisimula ang proseso ay gusto na kaming parusahan? (How would we trust that there would be due process if even if the process has yet to start she’d like us punished already?)” he asked.

“I have chosen to remain quiet and speak in the proper venue,” he said. “Pero, sa ganitong mga ipinapakita ng administrasyong ito, hindi kaya ako nagkamaling magtiwala na may batas pang umiiral? (But with what this administration is showing, I wonder if I was wrong in having faith there’s still a rule of law.)”