Senator Leila de Lima took her umbrage on Thursday at President Rodrigo Duterte for singling her out in his war on illegal drugs, instead of going after alleged drug lords and protectors.

De Lima lamented why she was the only one charged and being portrayed in the world as a drug “coddler” and “protector” when there were other alleged drug personalities, like a certain Peter Lim, who were on the President’s drug list.

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“Bakit hanggang ngayon, ang talagang pinapatay lang nila yung mga maliliit? Araw-araw pa rin, an average of 10 every day. And then pinapasok sa mga bahay, pinapatay. Sinabi ng Pangulo, ‘Kayong mga drug users, wag na kayo lumabas ng bahay kasi papatayin kayo.’ Eh pinapapasok na nga eh. Whether or not lumabas, papatayin pa rin sila,” she said in an interview at the Senate.

(Why is it that until now, they only kill the small-time drug suspects? It continues everyday, an average of 10 every day. And authorities go inside the suspects’ houses and kill them. The President said, “For those drug users, stay home because I will kill you [if I see you]. But authorities are going inside their houses. Whether or not they go outside, they will be killed.)

“Pero yung mga malalaki, except for the likes of Mayor Espinosa, and then yung Mayor ng Maguindanao, Saudi Ampatuan municipality. Meron pa ba silang pinapatay na malalaki? At nasaan nga sila Peter Lim?”

(But the big-time drug suspects except for the likes of Mayor Espinosa, and thenyung Mayor ng Maguindanao, Saudi Ampatuan municipality [are not being killed]. Are they killing other big-time drug suspects? And where are Peter Lim and the others?)

The senator was referring to Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was killed inside his jail at Baybay, Leyte provincial jail last November 5, and Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, who was also killed along with nine others in an anti-illegal drug operation in Makilala, North Cotabato in October.

Espinosa and Dimaukom were among those on the President’s drug list.

De Lima said she could not also understand why until now she has not heard any result of the investigations being conducted against big drug suspects.

“Bakit ako pa lang ang sinasampahan nila? Kasi ako ang pinipilit nila na ipakita sa buong mundo na coddler at protector. Gusto kong makita ang resulta ng imbestigasyon ng mga iba. Nasaan yung mga tunay na mga coddlers at mga protectors? Nasaan na nga ba yang Peter Lim na yan?” she asked.

(Why am the only one being charged? Because they want to show the world that I’m a coddler and protector. I want to see the result of the investigation on the others. Where are the real coddlers and protectors? Where really is Peter Lim?)

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De Lima noted that Duterte and Lim had at least three pictures together.

The lady senator also had a picture with suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, who later claimed to give her money through her former driver Ronnie Dayan.

De Lima has repeatedly denied receiving a single centavo from illegal drugs or any involvement in the drug trade. RAM/rga

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