After President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Senator Leila de Lima, several senators, public figures and netizens stood up for the neophyte senator. One of those was senatorial candidate and former Akbayan representative Walden Bello, who said that Duterte ‘bullied’ de Lima for opposing him.
“I can just imagine what Senator de Lima is going through. But I also know that she is one hell of a woman who’s not going to allow herself to be bullied into submission by a guy who’s admitted fabricating or planting evidence to get rid of people in the past,” Bello said in his Facebook post on August 25.
At a press conference in the early morning of August 21, Duterte told reporters that one of the things he learned in his ten-year career as a prosecutor was to plant evidence and intrigues to catch the criminals.
Bello then added just why he thought Duterte is coming after de Lima now, saying that it was because she opposed Duterte, something that most politicians are ‘afraid’ to do.
“De Lima is indispensable not only because she is fighting the rule of law but also because she is providing what every democracy needs but which 98 percent of our politicians are afraid to provide – opposition. That’s really the reason Mr. D (Duterte) is persecuting her, because he can’t stand any opposition,” Bello wrote.
[ads1]
He also noted how Duterte predicted the end of de Lima’s political career and how it seemed like the President was probably predicting the same thing for his own career because de Lima won’t ever give up.
“’You’re finished,’ sabi ng pangulo. Siguro sarili niya tinutukoy niya, kasi sigurado ako na sa laban na ito, hindi yung Senadora ang aatras,” he added.
In a separate Facebook post on the same day, Bello called Duterte a bully or a gang leader once more, who de Lima angered by opposing him.
“Ang kasalanan ni Senator de Lima ay tumindig siya sa isang maton. At alam naman natin na ang mga maton ay napipikon pag may tumututol sa kanila,” he said.
He also said a typical behavior among bullies – to tuck their tail between their legs when they know their threats do not work on you, alluding this to be Duterte’s next move if de Lima continues to oppose him.
“Sa katunayan mga duwag mga maton at pag ipinakita mong hindi ka natatakot sa banta nila, sila’y aatras, ang kanilang maliit na buntot nasa gitna ng binti nila,” he added.
Bello then urged Duterte to ‘grow up” and stop intimidating the senator.
“Grow up, Mr Duterte. You can’t intimidate a strong woman,” he said.
He also predicted how his post will provoke an angry response from ‘Duterte fanatics,’ but added that he is not scared at all.
“Of course, this post will provoke the rabid gigil na gigil Duterte fanatics. Pero sabi nga ni Muhammad Ali kay George Foreman sa Rumble in the Jungle, ‘C’mon George, bring it on. Is that the best you can do?’” he concluded.
[ads3]
