President Rodrigo Duterte has numbered the days of Senator Leila De Lima’s political career, hinting that his upcoming exposes against the senator would surely spell the doom of her career.
“Tapos ka na. Sunod [na] eleksyon?” (You’re finished. Next election?),” Duterte pronounced, sounding like he estimated how De Lima would lose next election because of his demolition job against her.
He specifically mentioned something about a “matrix” or diagram showing how De Lima supposedly figured in the reported illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
“De Lima, you are finished,” the Inquirer quoted Duterte as saying in a recent news conference in Davao City, Thursday, August 25.
The president has been “validating” more information he plans to reveal to the media soon that would hurt further De Lima’s reputation as a lawmaker and public servant. De Lima has been among Duterte’s persistent critics who once vowed she would prove how the Davao Death Squad was Duterte’s brainchild. Duterte, in turn, is hell-bent on proving that De Lima is a drug lord protector and used drug money for her senatorial campaign.
President Duterte appeared to have been pissed off anew when a reporter asked his opinion about how the lady senator has been conducting the Senate hearing on the drug-related extrajudicial killings. De Lima is chair of the prime committee looking into the matter where the Philippine National Police (PNP) has been in the hot seat. Policemen are being accused of summarily executing suspected drug dealers and addicts and the PNP, in general, is being investigated.
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Duterte had detonated a demolition “bomb” when he revealed De Lima’s supposed affair with her driver who allegedly had a hand in the drug trade at the NBP, which had him calling her “immoral.” He also alleged that her driver collected drug money for her there, especially during her senatorial campaign. No wonder drug personalities could freely do whatever they wished even while in maximum prison, Duterte added.
De Lima cried foul because the attack was obviously too personal, according to her. But then another demolition “bomb” was detonated by Duterte when he again revealed to the media the senator’s alleged second boyfriend whom he simply named, “Warren,” with the Metro Manila Development Authority or MMDA. But Duterte admitted that this had nothing to do with the drug trade.
The third “bomb” Duterte promised to have explode in front of the media is the so-called “matrix,” where De Lima would be shown to be the top government official behind the drug trade at the NBP. It is supposed to prove the senator’s connection to the drug lords at the NBP.
“I will show you, maybe this week the matrix— I’m just validating— the matrix of Muntinlupa connection. De Lima is there… It would show her role there,” Duterte said. “I could not believe it.”
“What is really sad for this country, here is a woman posturing [herself] to be a crusader for good government. But because she could not stop her immorality— well, to De Lima’s credit she is legally annulled like me and is a bachelorette— but her sex escapades led her to commit several serious violations of law,” Duterte disclosed.
Drug matrix revealed
And on August 25, Duterte released the matrix, tagging de Lima, former Pangasinan Governor and now Pangasinan 5th District Rep. Amado Espino Jr., Gen. Franklin Bucayo, Former Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, Pangasinan Administrator Raffy Baraan, de Lima’s driver Ronnie Dayan, Pangasinan Board Member Raul Sison, and a certain “Ms. Cardenosa.”
The Inquirer posted a copy of what is dubbed as the “Muntinlupa Connection” matrix showed by Duterte to the media.
But de Lima just laughed off the revelation of the matrix and called it “garbage.”
The senator also asked if Duterte was joking, adding, “But yes, please amuse me at how his men have desperately tried to link me with the ‘Muntinlupa Connection’ flick. Where is the so-called drug link or links?”
She also said of the matrix, “Even a 12-year-old can draw such a thing.”
Despite what he had done against De Lima, Duterte still had some compliment to say about her: “She looks nice.” And then at another time he said: “By the way, fighter talaga. Fighter talaga.”
Sources: (newsinfo.inquirer.net)
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