Press Release
June 13, 2018

De Lima hits Duterte for 'death threat' vs Trillanes

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima today lashed out at President Duterte for his remarks that "somebody" will shoot her colleague, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who is also considered as one of the staunchest critics of the present administration.

De Lima said she has no doubts that Duterte is more than capable of carrying out such death threat to harass and intimidate those who have spoken boldly against the excesses of the administration, especially on the murderous war on drugs.

"Being the father and founder of the Davao Death Squad, one more murder will not make a difference to Duterte. The only question is if he will be stupid enough to do it," she said in her latest Dispatch from Crame No. 324.

"This is what happens when the leader of a criminal syndicate and political warlord of one of the country's most violent places becomes president. Death threats coming from the Davao Mafia boss are common everyday occurrences that no longer remain in the headlines for more than a day," she added.

In a speech before new barangay officials in Cebu City last June 7, Duterte claimed that "there will come a day that someone will shoot him because he's arrogant." Trillanes, on his part, dared Duterte to "go ahead [and] order somebody to shoot me" even as the former warned the President that "it would lead to your end."

The former justice secretary said the Filipino people have become immune from death threats because Duterte has regularly threatened those who are critical of his administration's crooked policies since he assumed presidency.

"The public has already been desensitized to numerous death threats issued by Duterte that this one is nothing new, except for the fact that due to Sen. Sonny's perseverance in coming across to the public in his fight against a murderer President and a Chinese puppet, whatever remaining thread of sanity Duterte still is hanging on to might ultimately snap," she said.

De Lima, who lamented how Duterte actually believes he is now god, said a thin line separates the President's threats from becoming reality.

"So far he has not yet been stupid enough. Crazy, yes, as he has already ordered the killing of thousands. But someday he might be stupid enough not to be able to recognize the difference between the assassination of a local radio commentator and an opposition senator," she said,

De Lima, who has been acknowledged as a human rights defender under threat by the Amnesty International, said the problem is that Duterte might one day be "as stupid as stupid goes, and start shooting senators in turn."

"If he still gets away with that, maybe then he would have indeed proven that he is 'God', and the rest of us forsaken by our own," she said.

"If we still wait for that time, as most in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church appear to be still doing despite the killing of priests, no one would be left behind to bring our country back from the insane vision Duterte is leading it to," she added.

News Latest News Feed