Sen. Leila M. de Lima yesterday described President Duterte’s alleged drug matrix as rubbish and a “laughable scrap of paper” that deserves to be thrown into the garbage bin.
“(It’s) a scrap paper. Ordinary lawyers know too well it properly belongs to the garbage…Even a 12-year-old can draw such a thing!” De Lima said.
De Lima, who is celebrating her 57th birth anniversary tomorrow, said that the matrix didn’t even look professionally written.
“Kaya nga pinaglaruan ito kanina ng mga staff ko. May mga side-side comments sila dito. Kasi nga anong klaseng drug matrix ito? Anong klaseng matrix? I also haven’t seen anything like this kaya nga I’m thinking, can’t they come up with something better? Something more professional looking?” De Lima said.
Duterte’s staunchest critic questioned why she is being tagged when all the arrows do not even point to her. “Lahat po ng arrow palabas sa pangalan ko. Wala pong tumuturo sa akin dito. Dalawa or tatlo sa nili-link sa akin doon ay dating mga katrabaho ko lang. ’Yung iba po ay hindi maituturing na malapit sa akin o konektado sa akin,” the former Department of Justice Secretary said.
She said the arrows in the drug matrix all point to former Pangasinan Gov. now Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino. “Lahat ng arrow kung mapapansin ninyo ay tumuturo kay Gov. Amado Espino. Pinapalabas ba nila na indirectly ay nagre-report ako o boss ko si Governor Espino? Nakakatawa naman talaga ito. Nakakatawa sila,” the feisty senator said.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said yesterday that “proper” committees will look into the inclusion of Espino in the drug matrix.
Alvarez said House won’t rush to penalize Espino over his inclusion in the matrix. “Well, of course, kailangan tingnan natin dahil hindi naman ibig sabihin na nandoon ’yung pangalan mo ay kami dito sa Kongreso meron kaagad gagawin din na drastic. We have to look into that. Meron naman tayong proper committees para tingnan itong complaint na ito,” Alvarez said.
Espino said that he want to see Duterte and air his side.
“I want to see the President at mabigyan naman ako ng chance at makapagpaliwanag,” he said, adding that he was completely surprised with the announcement. (Hannah L. Torregoza with Charissa M. Luci and Liezle Basa Inigo)
