De Lima to Sara Duterte: Stop defending trapos, misfits

As their word war continues, detained Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday advised Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to stop defending trapos (traditional politicians) and misfits.

“Unless you are one of them, don’t waste your life defending the dishonest, the corrupt, and the people whom you know will abuse their office. Your ambition should not take precedence over our country’s future,” De Lima said in a five-page handwritten letter in reply to Duterte’s statement.

“Use your platform to fight for a better Philippines. Do the right thing. Stop campaigning for trapos and misfits,” she added.

Duterte earlier called De Lima “intelligent and dumb all in one head” when the latter criticized her statement that honesty should not be an election issue. 

De Lima said the Davao mayor has been making excuses for the candidates she is endorsing.

“Ever since it is talked about that most of the candidates you are campaigning for are dishonest, puro pagpapalusot na lang ang ginawa mo. There is no need to play semantics with me. Your words may sway the weak-willed and the uninformed, but they don’t affect me. I’m neither weak-willed nor uninformed. Hindi uubra sa akin ang mga palusot mo,” she said.

She said public office is a public trust so anyone who seeks it must have honesty and integrity, candidates included.

“What kind of idiot would think that a dishonest candidate will be an honest public official?” said De Lima.

The detained senator said she has nothing personal against Duterte.

“I can only imagine what you had to endure as your father’s daughter. I only speak as someone who loves her country. You are young and you have your life still ahead of you. You are given this platform by your father to say anything you want in a national scope without accountability,” she said.

De Lima told Duterte that politicians are stumbling over themselves trying to vie for her support because they just want to use her.

“If I may give you an unsolicited advice, do not fool yourself. The spotlight and lavish attention is not for you, it is for your father. And the politicians you surround yourself with are not there because they believe in your vision. They’re there because they want to use you,” she said. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News