Bianca Ysabel D.

Rabe
Grade 8
Campus Journalism

The Mayor and the Secretary

SOME WOULD refer to politics as strictly business but the war between President
Rodrigo Duterte and his stalwart critic, Senator Leila de Lima, say otherwise.

The conflict began back when then Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair de Lima,
accused then Davao City mayor with his ties with the Davao Death Squad (DDS), a rumored group of
vigilantes who are allegedly responsible for extra judicial killings in the city.

But the investigation never ended in the local level. Now, a senator goes head on against the
president. And to come and think of it, it has been brought upon the Senate, alongside a sex tape
threatening to be published and witnesses from prison.

Frankly, the senator brought this war upon herself.

In May 2015, a year before the elections, de Lima went on a rampage and called out Dutertes
admission of being in the DDS. And apparently, it left a deep scar on the president.

She said, Ano bang klaseng mga statements iyan? A public servant, one who is very popular
right now like Mayor Duterte and idolized by many, and yet, he makes those statements! Iyong iba sa
atin, natutuwa pa, lalong ina-idolize si Mayor Duterte. But, is that right? Hindi po tama iyon.
(GMANetwork.com)

This was her big punch against the big guy she was scolding the public regarding the people
they choose to idolize. And having the Justice Secretary stand against the then president-aspirant, the
mayors campaign might have been finished before it even began.

The then CHR commissioner had an NBI investigation regarding DDS and Duterte, but spoke
unclear and seemed to avoid it, and tended to focus on the crowd that was pushing the mayor to run.
This made her sound not as a justice secretary, but like every member of the Liberal Party scared of
Duterte running (and winning) as president.

She was hitting below the belt. But, heres the catch, they both did.

Duterte, back when he was still a mayor, was known to bout on his councilors that decide to
oppose on his decisions and perhaps when he knew he was higher than de Lima, he chose to fight
back. But of all the accusations of Duterte going all personal with the senator (laying her relationships
on the investigators desks), he just fought fire with fire.

He questioned the credibility of the Justice Secretary:

You accuse me of extrajudicial killing, which is criminal, but look at your own backyard,
especially Muntinlupa. By culpable neglect, many were able to sneak in, you did not do anything.
You raided only now, you built Hilton Hotel right in Muntinlupa, you allowed it A more serious
crime is committed every day. Prisoners going in and out of prison, doing kidnapping and hold-ups
outside. Women, drugs, being allowed inside, and you have the gall to accuse me of extrajudicial
killings of criminals?

You fatten them. Your penal colony guard selling shabu with prisoners outside, whats
happening to the country? Im the only local official talking against drugs and you have the gall to say
Im killing the criminals, while you fatten them in and out of prison. What are you doing to the
criminals in this country? Answer me. (Inquirer.net, May 2015)

This was long before Mayor Duterte ran for presidency it speaks brashly of the present,
doesnt it?

During the Senate and Congress investigation-slash-hearing, both witnesses for the two
parties were from prison. The new Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II presented convicts that were
gang leaders, two of them being Herbert Colanggo and Jaime Pocho, to support his presidents claims
in the he-said-she-said dispute.

Some would quote that the war between Duterte and de Lima was never about them, but
about justice.

President Duterte inspired the thought of extra judicial killings, and it was a part of his
campaign. And it is only just for the government to look into these perpetrators and be brought to
justice. This was a bypass of the war the country has joined.

But in that light, it makes no sense for de Lima to bring in Edgar Matobato, who speaks only
of the people that the mayor assigned them to kill, and none of the landscape of the current killings.
Perhaps the senator brought the fault and detachment upon herself.

A war started by de Lima herself, and in hope of dictating the hearings herself, the dice had
rolled the other way: she now feels singled out and victimized. She was a woman on a roll during the
campaign questioning Mayor Dutertes credibility, with her arrogant tone, her arguments just as
flawed, and futile attempts to ruin the then president-to-bes image.

Anything for her president, Mar Roxas.

In May 2015, Mayor Duterte had said of De Limas criticism against him: Its because of her
political ambition. Well, run and the Filipino people will get to know you more as the barking dog of
the Aquino administration. (ManilaTimes.net)

Talk about politics.