De Lima: Duterte wants me kicked out of Senate

Senator Leila de Lima believes President Rodrigo Duterte wants her out of the Senate, saying the “entire machinery” of the executive department is being used to harass her. 

“Napaka-lopsided [ng laban]. Imagine, the entire machinery of the executive department tapos nalulungkot ako na mismo sa Kongreso, parang tumutulong sila sa panggigipit sa akin,” De Lima told radio dzBB Friday. 

De Lima, a staunch critic of the President, cited continuing efforts from Duterte’s allies to “destroy” her and remove her from her post. 

De Lima is a subject of a House inquiry on her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary. 

“Ito ay continuation ng mga efforts nila na tuluyan akong matapos; tuluyan na akong masira at ang ibig sabihin noon, mawala ako diyan sa eksena, mawala ako diyan sa pwesto ko,” De Lima said. 

She cited the previous statement of Duterte wherein he said De Lima was “finished” after accusing her of receiving drug payoffs to fund her senatorial bid. 

“Baka iyan nga ang isa sa mga pinaka-agenda, isa sa mga pinaka-layunin ng Pangulo natin kasi ilang beses na natin siya napakinggan na talagang he will destroy me. Sa isang presscon, sinabi niya you’re finished,” De Lima said. 

On top of the possible criminal charges against her over her alleged drug links, De Lima said she is also facing ethics complaints at the Senate, which could lead to her expulsion. 

The Senate ethics panel has yet to decide whether it has jurisdiction over the complaints filed against De Lima over her acts when she was still secretary of the Department of Justice. 

Earlier this week, De Lima was ousted as chair of the Senate justice committee investigating the alleged extrajudicial killings and summary executions amid the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. 

De Lima accused Duterte of plotting her ouster. Senators who voted to kick out De Lima as committee chair have denied her allegation.

On Monday, however, Duterte denied having any hand in the ouster of De Lima as chair of the justice committee.

"I do not intervene, dwell into matters not within my [purview], not part of my territory. I don’t care how many hearings are there… Basta ako nakatutok ako sa aking trabaho,” Duterte said in a chance interview with reporters in Davao City.

The President, however, on Aug. 29 dared De Lima to hang herself and resign from her post as senator.

"If I were De Lima, ladies and gentlemen, I'll hang myself... Dapat kang mag-resign. Sa pinapakita mo, you resign," he said while visiting PO1 Nestor Villanueva at St. Paul Hospital in Tacloban City. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ/KG, GMA News