Dispatch from Crame No. 1,051:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Herbert Colangco's video rant

The video rant of convicted murderer Herbert Colangco of RCBC Massacre infamy, now being disseminated by DDS social media sites, is his way of telling Duterte not to kill him yet because he still has a purpose to serve. It is not surprising that Colangco made the video rant right after the death of convicted Calauan Mayor Sanchez (and earlier, Raymond Dominguez and an aide of Jaybee Sebastian) inside Bilibid, again under mysterious circumstances just like Sebastian and a dozen other high-profile Bilibid convicts.

The talk among Bilibid inmates, as revealed by another Bilibid witness, Noel Martinez, in his testimony, is that some were the victims of "nacovid-covid", or the Bilibid term for being killed under the pretext of getting infected with the Corona virus and immediately cremated to dispose of any evidence of the actual cause of death. Indeed, an incinerated cadaver will no longer leave traces of cyanide, or any other evidence of foul play.

All of this is not to mention how Colangco seems to be living in better quarters since he lied in his testimony against me before the House Justice Committee in 2016, probably more luxurious than his Bilibid kubol I ordered to be dismantled during the Bilibid raid of December 2014. What is more evident is his cavalier demonstration of the perks he is enjoying now as a DOJ witness, including cellphones and apparently, access to the internet. These privileges are given to the killer of RCBC employees in exchange for his perjured testimony against me.

What is most appalling is that Duterte is still more interested in this diabolical scheme against me rather than in solving the COVID crisis as we now approach another prolonged lockdown that will definitely and finally destroy what is left of our businesses and our economy. The mismanagement and incompetence is almost incomprehensible, definitely inexcusable, criminal, and a national scandal of epic proportions. Yet what is Duterte doing? Groping his household help with his lechon-oily hands on his birthday, a most cursed day in our history as a proud nation.

Only a real pig can exhibit such sociopathy while a nation he supposedly leads suffers and continues down the path to destruction.

EJKs, Red-tagging, COVID crisis mismanagement and incompetence, Economic Lockdown, Unemployment, Corruption. How many ways will it take the Duterte government to kill Filipinos before we realize it is too late?

My own travails under Duterte are just a small matter compared to what the whole country is undergoing just because Duterte will not accept that he is no longer able to manage the COVID crisis. Yet, Colangco's scripted rants and my trial are now also being used as just another sideshow to distract Filipinos from the doom that awaits them, as Duterte continues to bungle the COVID crisis and destroy our economy.

Tama na. Sobra sobra na ang Kalbaryong dinaanan at krus na pinasan natin sa ilalim ni Duterte. Isalba na po natin ang ating sarili at ang ating mga mahal sa buhay. Panahon nang paalisin ang buang at inutil na Pangulo sa Malacañang.

(Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 1051 here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatchno1051)