Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. (Photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The public should no longer give credence to anything that comes from Senator Leila de Lima, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Sunday, as he downplayed her views as “pathetic attempts to remain relevant.”
“We should no longer give credence to anything that comes from Senator Leila de Lima as this is from a polluted source, who was accused of drug trafficking by at least 13 witnesses,” Roque said in a statement.
“We consider her views as rather pathetic attempts to remain relevant and in the headlines, hence, these should not be taken seriously,” he added.
Roque’s statement, the latest in the word war between the two, came after De Lima’s statement last Saturday, insisting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should intervene on the alleged human rights violations related to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
The spokesperson pointed out that senator’s opinion “reflects her utter lack of understanding of the principle of complementarity in International Law.”
“This is no longer surprising since her professional practice was limited to election laws,” he said.
“To reiterate, it must first be shown that the State is unwilling or unable to prosecute crimes in order for the International Criminal Court to intervene,” he added.
Roque said the lawmaker, who is detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City due to drug-related charges, would be “better off concentrating all her efforts in clearing her name in the non-bailable and heinous criminal cases pending against her before the courts instead of engaging in political grandstanding.”
De Lima’s camp has yet to respond on Roque’s tirades, as of posting. /je