De Lima says alleged INC campaign against her ‘unfair’

Senatorial candidate former Justice Sec. Leila De Lima
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday said it is unfair, if true, that the influential religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is campaigning against her.

De Lima, who is running for senator under the administration’s Liberal Party, said she received information that the INC is blackmailing local politicians to drop her from the ballot.

“I do not believe the information that Iglesia allegedly asked local candidates to drop or exclude me from the ballots,” De Lima said in a statement.

“But if this is true, I think it is unfair. I hope they will just let the public decide if I deserve their trust,” she added.

READ: De Lima to Iglesia ni Cristo: I’m just doing my job

On the last leg of the campaign, there are text messages circulating supposedly calling on the public to drop De Lima from the ballots.

De Lima said a supporter has provided her camp a copy of the text message including the number used.

The former justice secretary was not included on INC’s sample ballot.

Last year, INC members held a mass action outside the Department of Justice questioning De Lima’s “excessive” attention to the complaints filed by its expelled members against the Sanggunian, INC’s highest administrative body. RAM/rga

READ: De Lima unbowed by Iglesia ni Cristo protests, won’t step down