Tolentino to De Lima: Resigning would be a noble move to make
While not directly telling Sen. Leila de Lima to resign, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Sec. Francis Tolentino urged the detained senator on Wednesday to contemplate and think of what is best for the country.
Tolentino, who lost to De Lima for the Senate’s last and remaining spot during the 2016 elections, said he could not force De Lima to resign but noted that such act would be a more magnanimous move to make.
“Nasa kanya na ‘yon. Isipin din siguro niya ang kabutihan ng bayan kung ano yung, di ba, kung ano maisusulong sa legislation,” Tolentino said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum when asked if he would ask De Lima to resign.
(It depends upon her. Maybe she should just think of what is best for the country, if what could advance legislation.)
“Di ko siya pwedeng pwersahin, may sarili naman siyang pag-iisip,” he added.
(I cannot force her, she has a mind of her own.)
Tolentino cited the case of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, who resigned from his position in 2011 amid allegations of fraud in the 2010 elections. He quit even before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) ruled on now Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s electoral protest filed against him.
“Mas magnanimous ‘yon, mas may delicadeza,” Tolentino said.
(It’s more magnanimous, it has more delicadeza.)
The secretary lost to De Lima by a million votes in the 2016 senatorial elections. He currently has a pending case before the Senate Electoral Tribunal to dispute the detained senator’s win.
De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame over drug charges. /jpv
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