President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Senator Leila de Lima on Friday called President Rodrigo Duterte a “misogynist” and a “chauvinist.”
This after Duterte’s remark that the lady senator was not only “screwing” her driver but also the nation.
READ: Duterte: De Lima ‘screwing’ not only driver but also the nation
“Duterte’s latest verbal abuse vs me is simply characteristic of his being a misogynist and chauvinist. That’s all it is and there is no need to dignify it with any further reply,” De Lima said in a text message to reporters.
“It is regrettable that he has become so low. God help our country,” she added.
Duterte lashed at the senator anew for allegedly using him to become popular.
“De Lima, she was seven years chairman of human rights. Binibira niya ako. Hindi naman nag-file ng kaso (She was always criticizing me but she has never filed a case against me). When she was Secretary of Justice, she was building a name at my [expense] para ma-popular (to become popular),” he said in a speech in Misamis Oriental on Thursday.
“Now what? She was not only screwing her driver, she was screwing the nation. O ngayon, saan na ang human rights? Kaninong papel ang ginamit ninyo (Now, where are the human rights (groups) Whose paper are you using)? Where were the papers?” the President asked.
De Lima, who served as Justice Secretary before she was elected senator last May 9, initiated a Senate probe on alleged extrajudicial killings and summary executions since Dutere’s assumption in office. RAM/rga