MANILA -- Senator Leila de Lima slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for resorting to "foul character assassination" after the President called her "immoral" and "adulterer" Wednesday, August 17.
Duterte, in his speech during the 115th Police Service Anniversary on Wednesday, did not name de Lima as the "female senator" who is allegedly having an affair with her married driver.
He named de Lima though after his speech, saying the senator keeps on "yakking" against him and insisting that he has links to the vigilante group Davao Death Squad (DDS).
But de Lima said: "Ang first reaction ko lang, ayaw ko nang patulan 'yan. I don't want to dignify that. It's so foul. It's character assassination."
She then urged the President to "double check" information before making such accusations against a government official.
"Pareho po naman kaming professional ng pangulo. Pareho kaming public servants, so sana hindi na ho siya nagre-resort sa ganyan na foul means (We are both professionals and public servants. I hope he did not resort to such foul means). To me that's very foul," she said.
De Lima has filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the spate of extrajudicial killings involving drug personalities.
During her watch as chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, she initiated a probe into Duterte's involvement with the DDS, which she said has carried out at least 1,000 summary executions in Davao. (Sunnex)