Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on Duterte's challenge for Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to resign with him
Dispatch from Crame No. 174

Duterte is in panic. He is, in military jargon for a general gone berserk, on a scorched-earth policy. Like General Jake "Howling" Smith of his favorite Balangiga Bells, he is on a kill-and-burn rampage.

This of course all started with the gutsy expose of the Ombudsman on his TWO BILLION PESO bank transaction records as documented by AMLC. Of course, these were all immediately damage-controlled by Malacañang issuing denials for AMLC, and Deputy Ombudsman backtracking, but only after the cat has already been let out of the bag, so to speak.

For one, the AMLC official denial only pertains to an investigation analysis and report, which it has not issued to the Ombudsman, but not to the bank transactions themselves, which the AMLC does not deny it has furnished the Ombudsman.

Deputy Ombudsman Carandang did backtrack, but only after Duterte threatened him with hellfire "pag nagka-leche leche ang bansang ito", meaning, when he takes the whole country with him when he goes down. This is only expected. In the time of Duterte, only a few good men are known to have balls. And Carandang displayed some, for a while at least.

But Duterte challenging OMB Morales and CJ Sereno to resign with him is neither here nor there. These are two women with balls that even men in the time of Duterte have lost. The two have no reason to resign. They are perfectly in-sync with reality performing their jobs, while Duterte continues to suffer from a mental disorder of epic proportions.

Under Duterte's watch, the country's international reputation has gone from high to zilch, and now not even his much-touted integrity is left to save his EJK campaign. His own son is being linked to the biggest drug-smuggling syndicate responsible for the entry of tons of shabu since he assumed the presidency, while official leakages on his family's 2 billion-peso hidden wealth are proving Sen. Trillanes's election campaign accusations against him as credible, if not entirely true. In the first place, Duterte himself already said the other day that the Ombudsman illegally obtained his bank records. This only means the bank records the Ombudsman exposed are authentic.

Duterte's supporters knew that he is a killer and will kill as President. It is only a matter of time before he is also proven to be just another thief. And if he is indeed proven to be a thief, where does that leave him then? A killer and a thief, like Marcos. But more than Marcos, a killer, a thief, and a madman, as only Duterte can be.

No wonder the President is so upset. Tainted with corruption, he is left with nothing. Not kindness, not compassion, not honesty, not integrity. He is not even good-looking. Yes, he has power, for now. But he knows that even that is about to end. Soon he'll just be a senile old man seated in a corner, most probably of a jail cell, haunted by the ghosts of his victims. This is mortality knocking on Duterte.

He may be a god now, but let's face it, no man really is. Everyone still ends up under the ground. What is left of us is a legacy. Duterte's is one that even his own grandchildren will not be proud of. Ten, twenty years from now, he will be remembered for what he is. A killer, a plundering thief, and yes, a madman.