Press Release
February 11, 2019

De Lima gives Duterte '#Not-Safe-For-Filipino-Children' rating

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged the Filipino people to save children from being misled into Mr. Dutete's crass leadership style exemplified by his penchant for vulgar language, sexist remarks and bullying tactics without any qualms.

De Lima, a human rights and social justice champion, said Mr. Duterte has exposed Filipino children to his sick mind, perverted morality and remorseless admission of the crimes and abuses he bragged about, notably when he was still a mayor of Davao City.

"This is the time to save the children. This is the time to call him out each time he does or says something wrong, abnormal or outrightly evil. If we don't, we will be raising a whole generation of Filipino children whose moral compass will be as twisted as his," she said.

"This is the time to establish a #NSFFC - Not Safe For Filipino Children - rating, which warns parents and adults to protect impressionable eyes and ears from being exposed and traumatized whenever he appears and speaks on television," she added.

Mr. Duterte has been pushing his allies in the Upper and Lower Houses of Congress to speed up the passage into law of a measure seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal liability for delinquent children.

However, civil society groups, child rights advocates and experts have cautioned the Duterte administration against espousing the proposed legislative measure which would unnecessarily expose children to the gaps in the country's juvenile justice system.

The former justice secretary pointed out that the Filipino public should make a stand and speak out against Mr. Duterte's bad examples because his continued abuse of power might further distort the Filipino children's sense of right and wrong.

"He (Duterte) boasted about personally killing people; he spoke of raping women, shooting them in the vagina, and of killing priests; and raves like a madman when he rants about his critics," she noted.

De Lima directed her call to parents, adults, educators, community leaders and all other self-respecting Filipinos as she shared her reflection about her second year of unjust detention in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 460.

"We are a God-fearing people, known for our generosity and hospitality, our respect for our elders, our Bayanihan spirit, and our capacity to find good amidst all the tragedies that befall us," she said.

"We are bright-spirited people. Yet here comes this weak-minded man, posing like a dictator, attempting to transform us into hate-filled fear-mongers, who will bully the weak just to prove how 'strong' we are," she added.

According to the lady Senator from Bicol, Mr. Duterte should be immediately called out whenever and wherever he uses foul languages, cracks sexist jokes and remarks, and bullies his critics and dissenters.

"Rody Duterte and his foul mouth and mind is just like drugs. He destroys from without and from within. He destroys the bodies of Filipinos through the killings, and he destroys Filipino minds through his dangerous speech and depraved mind," she said.

De Lima, considered by several international groups as a prisoner of conscience, said she hopes that like her, the Filipino people would not grow tired of speaking out against the menace that Mr. Duterte has been brought to the nation and its people.

"Pasensya po, pero hindi iyon ang kailangan ng bayan natin ngayon. Kawawa ang bayan kung mananahimik lang tayo at hahayaang maghasik ng lagim si Rody Duterte," she added.

On February 24, De Lima will mark her second year of unjust detention over the trumped-up illegal drug charges that were all based on perjured testimonies of convicted criminals and manufactured evidence.

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