Statement of Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Sr. Fox's impending deportation by the Duterte government

The President is acting like a 5-year old child who has just been given a new toy every time he points out that the BI Operations Order used for deporting Sr. Patricia Fox was signed by me.

He just cannot get enough of the irony. It's a lame excuse that he wants to repeat again and again to justify his pathetic action of deporting a harmless old woman. He uses political intervention of foreigners as his justification, even as he declares his love for Xi Jinping and prostrates himself before the Chinese who are now installing missiles in the Spratlys.

But only a bully will pick on defenseless old women while running away from bigger bullies. Duterte can only pick on women who he thinks cannot fight back, but he is a coward when confronted by someone actually bigger. Bullies are known for being deathly scared of picking on somebody their own size or more superior.

I dare the President to use international law and our victory in the International Arbitration Tribunal on the Law of the Seas against the Chinese interlopers in the Spratlys, instead of picking on Sr. Fox. The PNoy Administration worked hard for that decision. Duterte should use it against China the same way he uses an obscure BI operations order against harmless foreigners.

This selective defense of our national sovereignty against foreign intervention is nothing but vintage Duterte hypocrisy that can only come from a spineless leader like him. The President should grow a backbone. It does not hurt to stand up to actual foreign threats to the country every once in a while.

Government regulations are always enforced with a sense of proportions, aside from plain common sense. Kicking out foreigners like Sr. Fox who help Filipino communities and defend their human rights, instead of standing up to the Chinese who displace Filipinos from their sources of livelihood and territorial waters, is not only out of proportions; it is a mindless application of the law, as mindless as only the Duterte government can be.

Mr. President, magpaka-lalaki ka naman paminsan-minsan. Panindigan mo ang pagpapa-deport mo sa isang matandang madre at huwag mo itong isisi sa akin.

Andami mo nang dinadaan sa puro dada.

Kesyo haharapin mo ang ICC para ipagtanggol ang sarili mo sa pagpatay sa sarili mong mga kababayan. Ano ang ginawa mo? Nag-withdraw ka sa ICC at tumakbo dahil buong akala mo hindi ka na mahahabol.

Kesyo magmamatapang ka sa Kuwait, pero ang trabaho ng mahigit dalawang daang libong manggagawa ang malalagay sa peligro, habang ang sarili mong pamilya ay nagpapakasasa sa inyong kayamanan.

Kesyo magre-resign ka kapag hindi mo natapos ang droga, krimen, at korapsyon at napahinto ang ENDO sa loob ng anim na buwan. Magdadalawang taon na at nandiyan pa rin lahat ang mga yan, pero hindi ka pa rin nagre-resign.

Ngayon gagamitin mo ako para apihin ang isang madre.

Kailan ka pa ba aangkin ng responsibilidad sa sarili mong mga desisyon at kapritso? Nakapirma nga ako sa BI Operations Order, pero hindi ako ang gumamit nito para palayasin ang isang madre na wala namang ginawa kung hindi tumulong sa mga Pilipino.

Ikaw ang gumamit ng BI Operations Order na yan laban sa madre. Panindigan mo sana. Pero kailan ka pa nga ba nagkaroon ng tapang na panindigan lahat ng mga kapalpakan mo sa gobyerno?