De Lima gives Duterte admin "9" rating for its lies, blunders

After Malacanang handed the Duterte regime a rating of 9 for its supposed accomplishments, Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has given the administration an identical score for its lies, blunders and its failed war on drugs in its first three years in office.

"Tama naman talaga na 9 out of 10 ang rating ng Duterte government pagdating sa kapalpakan. Mas marami ang palpak kaysa sa tama, mas madami ang kasinungalingan kaysa sa katotohanan, mas madami ang pinatay kaysa nahuling drug lord at napa-rehab," said De Lima, the staunchest critic of the Duterte government.

"Many times, Mr. Duterte has expressed his intention to throw in the towel out of frustration and exasperation after failing to fulfil many of his promises to the Filipino people. Napako ang mga pangako ni Mr. Duterte sa mga Pilipino," added De Lima.

De Lima's reaction came after Malacanang gave Duterte a rating of 9 out of 10 for his accomplishments during his first three years in office. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo added that the best is yet to come in Duterte's remaining three years in office.

"Hindi niya napatigil ang illegal drugs at corruption. Ibinenta pa niya ang bansa ang soberenya ng bansa. Ngayon, mangangako siya ng mas magandang buhay sa susunod na tatlong taon?" De Lima pointed out.

Instead of better days ahead for Filipinos, the lady Senator from Bicol said she expects extrajudicial and summary killings to worsen, in the light of Duterte's pronouncement that his drug war will be relentless, in his last three years in office.

"I also expect the attacks on human rights defenders and rampant violations of human rights and abuses on Filipino people to continue under this administration," added De Lima, a vocal defender of human rights and advocate of social justice.

"In sum, the worse is yet to come, especially if this regime still pursues federalism, pushes for more tax measures, anti-poor and anti-human rights policies and persists in its subservience to China and imperils further our sovereignty and national dignity," she concluded.

As the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, De Lima is currently detained for trumped-up drug charges by the administration using perjured and coerced witnesses.

In the 18th Congress, De Lima has vowed to push for the passage of her Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill, which seeks to institutionalize and enforce State obligations for the protection of the rights of human rights defenders.

Touted as Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender by Amnesty International, De Lima filed the measure in the previous Congress, but it was not acted upon by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights chaired by Sen. Richard J. Gordon.