Senator Risa Hontiveros (left) and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday said she was saddened by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s controversial Facebook post, where the latter exposed the alleged presidential ambition of Hontiveros and two other opposition senators.
Sara called Hontiveros and her fellow senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Francis Pangilinan “plastic and opportunists” for criticizing President Duterte, despite them seeking his endorsement when he was still the Davao mayor in the previous election campaigns.
READ: Sara Duterte sears ‘opportunistic’ Pangilinan, Hontiveros, Trillanes
“I am saddened by Mayor Sara Duterte’s recent remarks against me, especially since we have had several friendly interactions over the years. I am grateful for her support during my election campaign and I have honored that support by defending women’s and gender rights, health, human rights, and our country’s democracy,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“I harbor the Mayor no ill will and I wish her well,” Hontiveros said.
But she stressed that “this is not a question of loyalty.”
“This is a matter of service, of consistency and of principle, and the defense of the rule of law and human rights. I am sure, as a fellow public servant, she understands that,” she said.
“From the very beginning, Mayor Sara knows where I stand on the issues of human rights and the extrajudicial killings that have been happening in the country. I have been consistent in this regard. My stand on the war on drugs and my current criticisms of the administration should come as no surprise,” she said.
Hontiveros reiterated that dissent is “healthy” in a democratic society.
“It serves a check and balance to abuse of power and a way to better governance. It should never be viewed as a hindrance,” she said. /je