Malacañang yesterday assured that the administration is not out to suppress dissent among people critical of President Duterte.
It denied the claim of Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s allies that she is being persecuted because she stood up against the President.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte has allowed critics to protest since he took office, including the one against the burial of President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City more than three months ago.
“They can very well open their mouth and speak. Ang mahalaga lang is they do not break law,” Abella said over Radyo ng Bayan. “They are all allowed. But they do not break the peace and order, stuff like that, they do not interfere with traffic, stuff like that,” he added.
Abella also said that if Duterte did not allow dissent, his Cabinet would not be composed of members from both the Left and the Right. “I think what’s happening is they confused some circumstances in the past with circumstances in the present,” he said.
Abella denied the claim of Vice President Leni Robredo that the arrest of De Lima was political harassment. “Dapat linawin natin na unang-una, ‘yung pagkakaaresto was based on probable cause. ‘Yung kanya pong kaso ay kriminal. Hindi po ito pulitikal na bagay,” he reiterated.
“Dapat po siguro maging objective rin ‘yung pagtingin nung mga tao na katulad ni VP Leni na may basehan po itong mga galaw na ‘to,” Abella said.
“I think people are just listening to an echo chamber where they’re listening to themselves. I think they should face the fact and realize that De Lima is being brought to court for criminal reasons and not for political reasons.” (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
