De Lima calls Duterte Sona garbage, cringe-worthy

Sen. Leila de Lima. (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

“A country ruled by a murderer drunk with power, and 100 million helpless, pitiful subjects unable to escape from a nightmare.”

This was how Sen. Leila de Lima on Tuesday described the nation’s “true state,” as she downplayed President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

“Just like his first Sona, and even worse this time, what we heard from President Duterte was not the true state of the nation but the sorry state of his mind that is full of anger, hate and profanity,” the senator said. “Instead of being given a report on the government’s accomplishments over the past year and concrete plans for the future, the Filipino people were treated with the same old rubbish rhetoric that lacks substance and sound policy direction.”

READ: Duterte bullies ‘enemies of state’ in Sona

De Lima pointed out that the President’s Sona will even cause a “chilling effect” on the media who are criticizing him.

‘Fake facts’

“His use of fake facts to question the ownership of Rappler smacks of repressing the free press, and sends a chilling effect to all those who dare report the truth.

“I could only cringe at how Duterte undermines human rights and the rule of law,” de Lima said.

De Lima also stressed her concern that the Chief Executive regarded the armed forces and police as “his own private armies.”

“He speaks as if he owns the whole country, and that the armed forces and the police are his own private armies,” she said. “Ito po ang Sona ni Duterte, na hindi na napanood o napakinggan ng mahigit sampung libong Pilipinong pinatay dahil diumano’y nanlaban at nadamay bilang collateral damage ng kanyang war on drugs. Ni hindi man lang sila nabanggit ng Pangulo, at ang kanilang mga pamilya.”

(Duterte’s Sona was not even seen or heard by close to ten thousand Filipinos because they were killed when they allegedly fought the police or affected as collateral damage by his war on drugs. They and their families were not even mentioned by the president.)

“Kung sabagay, aasahan ba nating magmalasakit ang isang pinunong sanay at manhid na sa patayan at karahasan?” de Lima asked.

(After all, can we expect a leader so used to killings and violence to show some concern?)

Spineless foreign policy

The senator also dismissed Duterte’s “miserable and spineless” foreign policies.

“He masks his miserable and spineless foreign policy towards China by digging up from our past the United States’ refusal to return the Balangiga bells, while failing to address the elephant in the room, China’s continued invasion and occupation of our territories in the West Philippine Sea,” de Lima said.

READ: Duterte to US: Return Balangiga bells to PH

De Lima, who is now detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame due to drug charges, once again criticized the President’s efforts to “demolish” her.

“Duterte must be so pissed off that, despite their gargantuan efforts aimed at discrediting or demolishing my character and dignity, through slut shaming and fabricated charges, various international entities, reputable ones, continue to support my causes, even meriting successive visits to my detention quarters from some of them,” de Lima said, referring to the recent visit of the European Union’s lawmakers.

“Truth is on my side. I am innocent. Let me return the favor and ask Duterte the same questions. Do you think you even have the moral values and credible standing, after that garbage of a speech you have unloaded before us and the foreign diplomatic corps?” De Lima asked Duterte.

“Wala ka nang ginawa kundi bastusin ang Pilipinas at ang mga Pilipino. Ikaw na ang pinakamalaking traydor sa ating bayan,” she closed.

(You have done nothing but embarrass the Philippines and the Filipinos. You are the country’s biggest traitor.) IDL/rga