President Duterte has scoffed at proposals to place detained Sen. Leila M. de Lima under house arrest, insisting she was not a “prisoner of conscience.”
The President unleashed another fiery tirade against De Lima and her European Union defenders after he took a glimpse of her detention place in Camp Crame, Quezon City last Wednesday.
“Imagine, she can even convince foreigners – ‘yung mga tontong mga EU. Hijo de…,” he said during a business forum in Mandaluyong City. “Tapos magpunta dito to declare…‘Can she be house arrested because she’s a prisoner of conscience?’
P**a, pagkabugok talaga,” he added.
Duterte told the EU officials to take another look at the personality of De Lima, citing the “video” of the senator.
“They come here and say she’s a prisoner of conscience, my God,” he quipped.
Last month, a 12-member delegation from the EU visited De Lima inside her detention cell at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame. De Lima is currently detained pending trial on alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.
The visit was part of the EU delegation’s plan to check the country’s political and human rights situation under President Duterte.
The President admitted that he took a peek into De Lima’s cell when he visited Camp Crame for the Police Service Anniversary last Wednesday.
Duterte admitted that he did not get close to De Lima’s cell enough to tease the senator for her offenses. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)