Press Release
January 26, 2019

De Lima hits relentless smear campaign vs her

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has lashed out at the Duterte administration over its persistent demonization and character assassination leveled against her.

De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, chided Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo for incessantly spreading the fake drug narrative about her designed to besmirch her good name and reputation.

"Panelo was recently quoted referring to me as 'criminal in nature.' He also insists that I remain incarcerated because the evidence against me is 'strong,'" she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 452.

"No! I remain in jail because that is what Panelo's master, Duterte, wants. Never mind my innocence. Never mind the fake evidence fabricated against me. Never mind the manufactured testimonies of criminal convicts," she added.

The former justice secretary, who has been incessantly victimized by disinformation peddled by the state and some sinister quarters, maintained that Panelo and his boss only care about "power, flexed through lies, deceptions, and oppression."

In a recent statement which obviously meant to divert public attention from an unpleasant report about the present administration, Panelo called De Lima a "criminal in nature" who is allegedly "unqualified for bail."

Panelo made the remark in reaction to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project's (ACLED) Year in Review: 2018 Report which called the Philippines a "war zone in disguise."

He, however, dismissed the ACLED report as "based on allegations made by groups that are hopelessly and blindly critical of the Duterte administration."

The lady Senator from Bicol maintained that no amount of denials and propaganda from Panelo and other Duterte apologists can hide the fact that the President is the real "criminal in nature."

"In fact, it is Duterte who is 'criminal in nature.' What can be more criminal than the murder of thousands of human beings using the state apparatus as an instrument to enforce his policy of summary execution of targeted civilians?" she asked.

"This is what the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (ACLED) pointed out in its report about the Philippines being fifth among countries with the most number of civilian fatalities, thus making it 'one of the deadliest places in the world to be a civilian,' she added.

De Lima said she believes that there are still individuals who are not blinded by the lies of Duterte administration and continue to fight on the side of truth, justice and democracy.

"Unfortunately for Panelo, the world is not populated by Duterte sycophants like him. The world sees the truth as it is. It would take more than a clown like Panelo to convince it otherwise," she said.

De Lima has become a favorite target of vengeance by Mr. Duterte, his allies, and other powerful and influential people she previously investigated and filed charges against, as chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights and as Justice Secretary.

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