De Lima vows to continue fight

Sen. Leila de Lima.   INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima accused President Duterte on Sunday of using the government machinery to silence her and “those who dare criticize” him.

De Lima said this was made clear by the harassment she suffered from the Duterte “regime” which she stressed used false charges that resulted in her detention.

In her statement in Filipino, De Lima thanked her supporters and vowed to continue her fight against the Duterte administration days after the European Union sought her release from detention.

De Lima said she was drawing her strength and confidence from those who support her cause.

The senator, who is detained in Camp Crame in Quezon City over drug-related charges, made the statement as her fellow Liberal Party mate Vice President Leni Robredo is facing possible impeachment after House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez linked her to a plot to oust the President.

Robredo drew ire from presidential allies after she made a video message before the United Nations criticizing Mr. Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. Her video was released a day before the Magdalo party-list group filed an impeachment complaint against the President in the House.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV slammed on Sunday presidential allies for always taking on women critical of the administration.

“What did Vice President Leni do? Nothing. It’s like they want to take on women. If women [are critical] they go crazy,” he said in a radio interview.

Trillanes said Robredo was not part of the Magdalo impeachment complaint against the President.