Detained Sen. Leila de Lima told President Rodrigo Duterte to stop using his public addresses to rant against his critics and focus on addressing the Covid-19 pandemic instead.
On Monday, during his first talk to the nation address in two weeks, Duterte lashed out profanely at de Lima for allegedly wanting him to “die early.”
“If you want me to die early, you must pray harder. Actually what you intend or what you would like to happen is to see me go. You want me to go and you are praying for that,” he said.
Duterte said he would go after those who maligned him.
‘Pag binabastos ninyo ako, e ‘di babastusin ko rin kayo. Kagaya kay de Lima, e tama ‘yan sa iyo. Magtiis ka. P****g ina mo. Binastos mo ang Pilipinas ng droga diyan mismo sa national penitentiary,” he said.
“Ngayon sige ka yawyaw diyan kung ano-anong pinagsasabi mo na hindi ko kaya. Bakit ikaw ba ang nag-elect sa akin? Did you elect me as
president? I got my votes substantial one to make me a credible president, 6 million (sic) ‘yan,” he added.
De Lima, in a Twitter thread, told Duterte to use his energy doing something else.
“Mr. President, maawa ka naman sa taumbayan. Namamatay na mga mahal nila sa buhay ako pa rin ang problema mo?” de Lima said.
“Magtrabaho ka na lang Duterte. Kung nagtrabaho ka lang sana hindi tayo umabot sa ganito. Huwag ka na lang puro ngawngaw,” she added.
De Lima, one of the staunchest critics of the administration’s war on drugs, has been detained since Feb. 24, 2017 over drug charges that she maintains were fabricated by the government to malign and silence her. John Ezekiel J. Hirro
