Detained Sen. Leila M. de Lima warned yesterday that the country faces a dark, uncertain future if the Duterte administration continues to trample on the rights of Filipinos.
In a statement marking yesterday’s 31st anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, De Lima minced no words in criticizing the Duterte administration whose bloody anti-illegal drug campaign and continued violation of Filipinos’ human rights is dehumanizing and polluting the spirit of EDSA.
‘‘Kung magpapatuloy ang mala-diktador na pamamahala at paglabag sa atin mga karapatan, anong kinabukasan ang naghihintay sa atin? Walang People Power, walang demokrasya, walang tunay na kalayaan, kung mananahimik at magwalang kibo lamang and sambayanan sa harap ng katiwalian, karasahan, at pagmamalabis sa kapangyarihan,’’ she said.
The 57-year-old lady senator, a staunch human rights advocate and former Department of Justice Secretary during the Aquino administration, is now detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Quezon City following the filing of drug-related charges before three Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Courts against her.
A defiant De Lima said she would prove to the Duterte administration that the criminal charges slapped against her are baseless and are politically motivated.
De Lima stressed that Duterte had threatened to impose Martial Law and the open killing of some 7,000 persons linked or suspected to be in the illegal drugs trade.
She said Duterte’s seven-month administration has netted more deaths compared to the 14-year Martial Law administration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. (Mario B. Casayuran)