In the wake of President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirade against Senator Leila de Lima, her fellow rookie and known activist Senator Risa Hontiveros has issued a statement of support for the latter’s plight.
Duterte practically ripped De Lima to shreds in his speech. He fired off so many accusations against her. All that was missing was the kitchen sink, as they say. He accused her of being involved in the drug trade and branded her as an “immoral woman” because she was allegedly engaged in an affair with her driver, who, as Duterte said, happens to be married.
“Here is an immoral woman, flaunting….well, of course, in so far as wife of the driver was concerned, it’s adultery. Here is a woman who funded the house of her lover and yet we do not see any complaint about it,” Duterte said in his speech.
Duterte and De Lima have always been at odds. She has repeatedly called for the investigation on the extra-judicial killings that intensified as soon as it was evident that Duterte would be President.
While De Lima’s haters may have rejoiced over the President’s controversial revelations, there’s at least one other person who thinks he was out of line.
“As a woman, I take deep offense at President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest remarks against fellow Senator Leila de Lima. They are misogynistic,” Hontiveros’ statement began.
She pointed out that Duterte’s words vilifying De Lima were “a 180-degree turn from the apology he issued during the campaign period on his rape joke” and “his reconciliatory tone to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, whom he threatened with martial law regarding policy differences in the government’s war against drugs.”
Hontiveros noted, “The President’s latest statements establish a consistent and disturbing pattern, which is prejudicial to women. It is also an awful display of ‘ad hominem politics.'”
She added, “I again remind him, being the highest leader of the land, his public political statements have the force and effect of policy. While he is known for his colorful language, it is not an excuse to insult and threaten women or target, without basis, a person’s reputation.”
In closing, Hontiveros expressed, “I hope that the Senate, as an institution, will rise to the challenge and defend the integrity of one of its members, even as it tries to find ways to peacefully and prudently resolve this matter.”
Does this mean Hontiveros now needs to watch her back, too?
Read her full statement below.
Reader Interactions