I was a bit disappointed in Senator Leila de Lima’s limp-wristed response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s shocking accusation she had used dirty money from drug lords to fund her senatorial run. It is not that we wanted to see Miriam Defensor Santiago-like firewords fly in the direction of Malacañang. But we had expected a stronger statement, more than the one De Lima delivered in the Senate. It seemed she was intimidated and still stunned by Duterte’s shock-and-awe bombshell that she and her driver-cum-alleged lover collected money from detained drug lords in Muntinlupa.
“This is a clear case of presidential abuse and misuse of executive power,” said De Lima, adding she’s scared for herself and her family. In another interview with Senate reporters, De Lima admitted “snippets of truths” to what President Duterte accused her of. She did not specify what the snippet of truth was but branded as an “absolute lie” she received payoffs from drug lords.
This is a case of he says, she says. Unless the President can present a paper trail linking De Lima to drug money, Duterte’s case could be mere hearsay. For sure, the detained drug lords don’t issue checks for political contributions. All their transactions and dealings are only on cash basis. Even if they do confess to paying off De Lima, it would be still the word of convicted felons against the word of an elected senator.
The weak link in the chain here is Ronnie Palisoc Dayan, her driver and alleged lover who supposedly collected the money for his boss. Duterte said he would use him as a state witness in the case. If the President can turn the driver against De Lima, and if the driver produces deposit slips in huge amounts to De Lima’s bank account during a suspicious period of time of the political campaign, then there is probable cause for filing a case.
”I am not the enemy,” said De Lima as she asked the President to spare her family and co-workers in the Justice Department which she used to head as secretary. This is an ironic reversal of fortune that the former DoJ secretary and Commission on Human Rights chief is now the one in the docket.
This is the risk one takes when running for public office. But it need not be the case. Trial by publicity should be shunned in favor of charges backed by solid evidence. What the President did was perform a strip-tease act by revealing De Lima’s alleged immoral relationship with her driver. But he has not provided proof. As any student of law knows, the burden of proof is on the accuser Duterte, a former prosecutor.
“Hinay-hinay lang,” (slowly and little by little only) Duterte told a crowd pressing him to reveal more details. But Digong, just like a good strip teaser, knows how to whet the appetite of his audience.
The President must truly have the goods on De Lima. Otherwise, he won’t bare such a serious allegations of sleaze and dirty money— ingredients of what turns on a vicarious populace who feed on scandals involving public officials. Duterte claims he will turn De Lima’s driver against her, using him as a witness to tell all. The driver’s alleged big house in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan, which costs at least P3 million, is the subject of speculation among the town’s folk who say they have seen De Lima spend overnight weekends in the white house.
The house, however, turned out to be owned by Dayan’s sibling. Sometimes, the two are seen in the town public market buying food to cook . Aside from his driver-security duties, maybe Dayan’s other talent is also being a good cook. It’s hard to find good help these days—this must be why De Lima depends a lot on Dayan.
Nonetheless, there are many who feel that De Lima became the object of presidential ire because she sought a Senate hearing on the extra-judicial killings of suspects whose death toll is nearing 1,000 since Duterte’s take- no -prisoners war on drugs.
The United Nations has also expressed concern over the spate of killings of suspects. This drew stinging words from the mercurial President.
The Liberal Party has called on LP members to rally around their party mate but the damage done to De Lima’s reputation can no longer be undone. Duterte did a preemptive strike on De Lima and the Senate committee on public order and safety hearing. Liberal Party Senator Riza Hontiveros stepped up to call Duterte a misogynist for his constant attack on women and making light of serious crime like the gang rape of an Australian missionary in his stronghold of Davao.
Careful, Riza. Digong might dig up something against you. This resourceful President won’t hesitate to use sleaze if he has some inside track info on you.
