Dispatch from Crame No. 508:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on the Latest 'Oust Duterte' Plot

The latest 'Oust Duterte' Plot is Mr. Dante Ang's and Malacañang's latest attempt at making fools out of the media and the people stupid enough to believe their fairy tales.

Sabagay, wala pa naman ipinalabas si Duterte na maayos at kapanipaniwalang matrix.

The first couple of matrices were somewhat interesting if only for the fact that they were not grounded on any discernible intelligence effort. As a matter of fact, no law enforcement or intel unit was willing to own those matrices.

The first one, purportedly showing my alleged links to the Bilibid drug trade, was so laughable in its crudeness and grammatical repugnance that even a 5-year-old child could do better. A subsequent matrix, posted in 2018 by Paolo Duterte, was equally outrageous. It revealed an alleged destab plot by a hodgepodge of personalities - critics and non-critics - including hibernating figures, university students and even Jollibee!

This latest matrix just makes everything absurd. It doesn't even offer a plausible theory on how the plot is supposed to work.

The Presidential Spokesperson admitted in a press conference that President Duterte himself is the source of this matrix. Not our intelligence community, not our law enforcers, not any other public official, just the President. Panelo cannot even explain what the supposed matrix is and how it is supposed to play out. He even admitted that the persons whose names appear in their matrix have yet to commit any violation of any penal law and that they don't plan on doing anything about it other than release their names to the public.

It is clear that the intent is to smear the reputation of the persons named in the matrix and not at all to raise the alarm on any danger to our country. Klarong panglilihis na naman ito sa mga exposé na kinakasangkutan ng pamilya Duterte - the PCIJ report on the unexplained spike of their wealth and the 'Bikoy' exposé on their and Bong Go's alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Kung gumawa ang Pangulo, ang kanyang pamilya, at ang kanyang mga tagasunod ng krimen, tungkulin ng mga mamamahayag na imbestigahan at ibalita ito. Tungkulin ng mga abogado na humanap ng hustisya. Ang paglaban sa pang-aabuso ng gobyerno ay hindi sedisyon. Ito ay pagiging Pilipino.

Nakakatawa lang na sa halip na pasinungalingan ng Pangulo ang mga exposé na lumalabas, pinagdidiskitahan niya ang mga mamamahayag na nag-uulat ng mga ito.

This matrix should be treated like every other garbage that comes from the Malacañang's propaganda machine. Put it in the dump with the other useless and senseless meanderings from the madman that is our President.