There’s a slugfest going on in the Philippines between President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Leila De Lima. After Duterte exposed De Lima’s alleged affair with her personal driver, De Lima went on to counter it by saying the President is engaging in character assassination. Her supporters were equally shocked and outraged that Duterte would resort to a “low blow”. After all, it’s none of our business what the Senator does during her private time as long as she is not breaking any law. And besides, it’s not like Duterte does not engage in a little hanky-panky on the side. In fact, he admits to having a number of girlfriends so what’s his problem, right?
I personally do not care about De Lima’s love life. In fact, news of her alleged affair with her driver is old news. It’s an open secret among Netizens. There’s even an alleged sex video that has been making the rounds all over the Net for ages. I think people share the link but don’t bother to view it for fear of what they might see. I’ve since always thought De Lima was cool with people knowing about it. What’s odd is why De Lima now acts shocked about the revelation but at the same time still does not categorically deny if the allegations are true.
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Don’t get me wrong. I don’t condone personal attacks. I have been against it for six years when former President BS Aquino was doing it to his enemies. Perhaps half a decade of exposure to BS Aquino persecuting his enemies like former President Gloria Arroyo even when she was sick has desensitised me, which is why I don’t feel shocked anymore now that Duterte is doing it. What I am trying to say is, naming and shaming had already long been a tradition of BS Aquino’s former administration. The exercise is not new. De Lima usually echoed what BS Aquino said in the past. She became some sort of an attack dog of the Liberal Party particularly since she was the Department of Justice Secretary.
We recall that in her effort to please BS Aquino, De Lima defied the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court in 2011 and proceeded to bar Arroyo from leaving the country. It’s still a mystery why she has not been disbarred for her actions. We also recall how she became a witness against the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona during his impeachment trial. At the witness stand, even when she struggled to justify why she thought Corona was corrupt in favouring rulings for respondents in some cases, she continued to act like her statements were factual. It was so apparent that she was relying on mere gut feel. She has this habit of issuing statements condemning the object of her attention even when there is no evidence to back her claims. And that is precisely why Duterte got fed up with her.
De Lima already has a history of speaking against Duterte when he was still Davao City Mayor but De Lima has been issuing statements lately against the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and making the members of the Philippine National Police look like the bad guys. The Senate investigation on extra-judicial killings hasn’t even started but she had already been speaking before the media and painting a doom and gloom scenario and making it look as if the police are responsible for the spate of killings. Duterte feels that her statements are not good for the image of the police who are already suffering from negative publicity. The bottom-line is, for all of De Lima’s incessant yakking, concrete evidence to prove that the police are abusing their power has yet to be presented.
De Lima seems to have this personal vendetta against Duterte and in her quest to pin him down, she is inadvertently pinning down the rest of the police force too. It’s quite bizarre that she would do that considering she used to work closely with the police during her stint in the Department of Justice. Some say that she is like a loose cannon.
What I don’t understand is why the outrage of some members of so-called “civil society” is six years late in coming. I do understand that they hate the way Duterte is dealing with De Lima because he is not following “due process”. But where was their outrage when BS Aquino was doing the same thing to his political enemies? It is very hypocritical of them to call out Duterte now when the previous President was guilty of doing the exact same thing. They say what BS Aquino did was not the same because he did not divulge private information about Arroyo’s sex life. Well, it’s probably because he had nothing to expose when it came to Arroyo’s sex life. But the point is, BS Aquino ruined Arroyo’s reputation in the Philippines and abroad when he relentlessly bashed her at every opportunity especially when he had speaking engagements abroad. As a result, a lot of people still think she is guilty of all the allegations he threw at her despite the not being found guilty by the courts.
While I do not condone Duterte’s naming and shaming, I think people are forgetting that BS Aquino’s behaviour during his term set a precedent for what we are seeing now. Rabid supporters are just not used to seeing members of the Liberal Party being on the receiving end of Duterte’s jabs. Duterte has become their worst nightmare. Now they are playing the victim card and using the “woman” angle too. It’s not fair to use gender as a defence against your opponent. Whether you are a man or a woman, if you are doing something wrong, it needs to be exposed.
It’s a bit of an exaggeration for some to think that Duterte is just doing this to stop De Lima from investigating those so-called extra-judicial killings. He may have been unfair in exposing De Lima’s affair with her driver but if the other allegation is true – that her driver also serves as a gofer between her and some drug lords, then their relationship could be a vital piece of information needed to solve the puzzle. Let’s just hope that Duterte knows what he is doing. Otherwise, this is another episode that will erode the moral fibre of Philippine society. It could be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.
For her part, De Lima should own up to the truth and admit the parts that are true. Denying anything at this point is useless because the truth has a way of coming out especially for people who had been careless during their heydays.
In life, things are not always what they seem.
to end it up, this coming monday the hearing at the senate, general ‘Bato’ dela rosa should take with him colangco, jayvee, and the lover/driver as witnesses to pinpoint who’s receiving the said weekly money from the druglords at the bilibid prison. also he should ask madam Cam for the controversial sex video to be presented at the hearing.
Hey, I am not interested in pornography, but, for curiosity sake,I would like to view how De Lima and her Driver, do their thing … I am very curious about it !
De Lima is a boot licker. She will do anything for Aquino. She feathered her own nest, during her term as a Department of Justice Secretary. I will not be surprised , if she is now a multi millionaire, because of Shabu Drug money.
During De Lima’s tenure as Secretary of Justice. The National Bilibid Prison, became a Command Center of incarcerated Drug Lords, in their Shabu Drug distribution. The National Penitentiary became a Shabu Mfg. Company.
High powered caliber arms and ammunition, were hidden under the floor of the National Penitentiary. There were even expensive jewelries, and communication equipment…
The Bilibid Prison became a Bank, with multi million of pesos, hidden under the floor of the maximum security cells. There was a concert, by one of the Drug Lords, inside the prison.
Religious preachers and priests, became Pimps. They brought prostitutes to service prisoners, who can afford their price.
These evil things happened, with the protection of : De Lima, Aquino, Porky Drilon, Mar Roxas, high prison officials, the Liberal Party, etc…
De Lima is the the epitome of a political opportunist ! May she and her drive lover rot in Hell !
why not? we have freedom of information now..LOL!
Very well said hiddenOO7TORO 9999! Put these dirty woman and her cronies in a dungeon where nobody sees them so their germy breath and smell can not infect the majority of idiots to illness!
Me sideline din ang mga preso,pinalalabas para mag hold up at mag EJK din kasi a hitman din sila.
Marami pang iba na di natin alam sa loob ng munti.
Yung chief warden doon ,imbes na makasuhan ay sinabitan pa ng medalya after delima’s advertisement raid sa NBP at behind the camera aybinalik ulit yung mga kinumpiska kuno
Karma, nothing but Karma!
bad karma
Sabi siguro ni Noynoy: “De Lima, hindi ka nagiisa…”
Noy faces more raps over SAF 44 deaths
This is karmic justice at work. Duterte just happens to be the channel that the universe used to send back to De Lima what she dished out to others.
How can De Lima cry foul and accuse Duterte of character assassination, after what she and her yellow master did to Gloria Arroyo, Angelo Reyes, Chief Justice Corona, VP Binay, and Duterte himself? (i.e., defying SC TRO, illegal detention for 6 years, slander, nonstop public humiliation, trial by publicity)
How can De Lima ask for her family to be spared, when she and her yellow master harassed even the Arroyo, Corona, and Binay children, spouses, and relatives with court cases, and drove Reyes and Corona to their deaths?
How can De Lima accuse Duterte of being misogynistic (anti-feminist), when she is the one playing the gender card instead of answering the accusations, and Duterte is in fact fighting her like an equal?
Most Pinoys are Catholics so they are programmed to think in terms of right vs wrong. But Eastern traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc view the world differently. It is not about right vs wrong, which is subjective (subject to opinion, interpretation), but about cause and effect (karma), which is objective.
De Lima is simply reaping the effect of what she caused. And in time, so will Duterte.
The key difference, where karmic justice is concerned, lies in intention. Duterte does what he does because he genuinely wants to clean up the country, so Filipinos will have better, safer, more peaceful lives. De Lima does what she does for power and glory for herself and the yellows.
Whose side do you think the universe will be on, in the long run?
who else..DUTERTE! pilipinos are waiting for prosecutions. do it now.
of course pnoy and his minions. they have not done the country any good during their six-yr term. ahh, they have at least allowed the proliferation of drugs in the country. that’s what they are good at
Are we going to be around that long to find that out?
DeLima started it , Pres. Duterte just gave her the dose of her own medicine.
Puno na ang salop, kaya dapat kalusin na. Go go go Pres. Duterte…
Finish her.
Isn’t it ironic how the Yellow Party supported De Lima as she defend herself against Duterte’s accusation of her connection to the illegal drug trade? Damn these “pigs” in government; they should all be roasted alive and served with an apple in their mouth.
No one would take a bite…
You’re right. Unless, of course, you’re a Filipino politician who suffer from “foot and mouth” disease, as result of wallowing in the same filthy pens of graft and corruption, and eating the same shits your fellow pigs shit and walk on.
Well said
This is actually the current narrative in Camp Crame these days. These are all just secondhand information from a family member in Camp Crame, so take my words with a grain of salt. But yea, it appears that Duterte needed to expose this relationship to lay a foundation for the case against De Lima.
If not, De Lima would just say, “He was just my driver. How would I know he’s linked to drugs?”
Also notice how De Lima is struggling to deny the affair. She and her lemmings are just screaming “character assassination.” They know Duterte has the goods against her.
I’m glad Robredo is on De Lima’s side though. If and when De Lima gets exposed and is formally tried in court, I hope Robredo’s name gets dragged along with her. So the people will finally see the real colors of our “vice president.”
a very likely scenario, knowing how Duterte’s mind work..hindi na ako magtataka…advance masyado yan mag-isip.
Any Pinoy can add things up; 1+1=… You sure got that right.
Compare
De Lima’s driver’s house:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/807648/was-driver-given-this-white-house-by-senator
Vs.
President Duterte’s humble abode:
http://regencia.com.ph/blog/president-rodrigo-duterte-house-davao-city-philippines/
I hope the driver-lover, and the rest of the witnesses Pres. Duterte is talking about will be presented to the Senate soon. The truth must come out. If De Lima is indeed guilty, she should resign!
always a believer in karma and is now working again!!!!
Can’t Stop the Music by Village People goes like this:
Everyone loves meth, the zombies in the street
Are swerving to the purging, there’s some force mowing on them.
There’s no place for pride, so many had tried
Can you bear it grinding your way,
It’s time to pay.
DU30c in our walk, DU30c when we talk
It’ really something karmic,
To change would be ironic.
Can you feel the hound, pounding through the ground. Karmic makes the weird feeling drowned.
You cant’ stop DU30c, nobody can stop DU30c
Melt shabu like snow, feel the proud die slow
Shout the critics “low blow” ’cause it’s my show
You can’t stop DU30c, nobody can stop DU30c
There’s a Judge above, gave me iron hand
Now it’s time to break or mend!
Karma comes after everyone eventually. You can’t get away with screwing people over your whole life, I don’t care who you are. What goes around comes around. That’s how it works. Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve.
I just want to comment on this “misogynistic” tag that “feminists” are trying to pin on Duterte because he exposed De Lima’s affair with her driver.
As I understand it, feminism is about gender equality, not discriminating against a person or treating them differently because of their gender.
So what is the problem? Why are feminists saying that Duterte should not have challenged De Lima because she is a woman? Isn’t equal treatment what feminists want? Why then do these feminists want Duterte to treat De Lima with kid gloves just because she is a woman?
I also don’t buy the argument that Duterte’s expose about De Lima and her driver was a personal attack. Duterte is way off the charts when it comes to non-conformity with traditional social norms and sexual mores. I don’t think he would have cared if De Lima was sleeping with a thousand drivers if said drivers were not connected to criminal acts or the war on drugs.
This is not about De Lima being a woman or De Lima having an affair per se. The real problem is, De Lima, as secretary of justice, had a very deep and long-running sexual relationship with her driver (deep and long-running enough to have 1 or 2 houses built), and that driver may have been collecting payola from drug lords at the national penitentiary which was directly under De Lima’s supervision when she was secretary of justice.
I don’t know about you, but as a voter and taxpayer, I feel strongly that I have a right to know what De Lima and her driver were doing with the drug lords in the prison when she was secretary of justice. I want to know if whatever went on there is connected with why she seems so inexplicably hell-bent on thwarting Duterte’s war against drugs. This is an issue of public interest, it is not a personal matter.
De Lima says she just wants to investigate extra-judicial killings, but I’m not quite convinced. There have bee 600 deaths during police operations out of 600,000 surrenders/arrests. That is a ratio of only 0.1%. That is a tiny figure and by no means out of the ordinary. So why is De Lima raising such a huge fuss? Does she want zero casualities? That is impossible.
If her concern is genuine, shouldn’t she be investigating the vigilante killings instead of the police? And who are most likely behind the vigilante killings? Common sense and experience of other countries would show it is probably the drug lords themselves, either silencing their pushers before they can surrender, or fighting a turf war among themselves after Duterte shook up the trade.
But instead of digging into the drug lords’ networks and coming up with proposals to stop the vigilante killings, De Lima inexplicably keeps attacking the PNP and Duterte. And then she complains that she is now being perceived as a protector of drug lords. Hello, what else are we supposed to think?
Most Filipinos are happy that there is finally a president and PNP chief with enough balls to go after the drug lords, but De Lima is inexplicably obstructing and sabotaging the president and the cops every step of the way. Maybe she just thinks she has a better way, but Ms. De Lima, if your way was better, how come you couldn’t solve the problem during your time as secretary of justice? In fact, the problem grew a lot worse during your time. Don’t you think you should just be quiet and let the people in charge now try their method this time? If you’re really concerned about the unexplained killings, go and investigate the drug lords’ networks instead of attacking the president and the police and calling them murderers. Put yourself in their shoes: they are risking their lives every single day for our country’s safety. Nililinis nila ang gulo na iniwan mo. Tapos sasabihin mo mamamatay tao sila? No wonder the president lost patience with you.
Can De Lima still dig herself out of the hole she is now in? I personally think yes. You know what she should do? During the senate hearing, she should confess everything she knows about the drug lords in Bilibid, and admit whatever involvement with them she might have had. Stop lying, stop spinning, stop making excuses. Then the public just might forgive her.
If not, nothing and no one will be able to save her when she gets raked through the coals like what she and her yellow boss did to Arroyo, Corona, Angelo Reyes, Binay, etc.
AMEN!! ????????????
Slight correction: I just read an article that out of the 600+ drug-related deaths since Duterte took office, only 387 occurred during police operations. So that’s an even lower ratio of 0.06% casualties in relation to 600,000 surrenders/arrests.
Ayan bago pa lang …naka sawsaw na agad ! Riza H. Just finally dream come true won the senate can’t contain herself ! Why not just zip her mouth and figure out how to survive this coffer less asylum !
Her first bill to debate is against marcos burial
I knew from the beginning that hontiveros is a fake leftist..She is a genuine yellowtard pro rich
ridding kuno on poverty crusader