Dispatch from Crame No. 835: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Statement on the Killing of 4 Soldiers by PNP Personnel in Jolo, Sulu
The Jolo rubout of two army officers and two enlisted men is an unfortunate but logical and inevitable consequence of the EJK campaign started by the PNP upon the command of Duterte in 2016. The power of the PNP to conduct summary executions without any criminal culpability upon Duterte’s orders bred and reared monstrous impunity […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 834: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Red-Tagging of Sr. Mary John Mananzan
This administration and its pseudo-journalist trolls have a thing for strong, fighting women. Barely a week after the conviction of Maria Ressa for cyber-libel—a conviction that may, God forbid, presage what is in store for me in my own cases because of the shaken independence of the judiciary–administration lackeys have trained their sights on Sr. […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 833: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Villainous Hit and Run of Filipino Fishermen by Chinese Vessel—Again!
If what happened was a mere collision, why did the Chinese vessel not rescue the Filipino fishermen, as in any ordinary, unintentional and purely maritime accident? Ganyan ba ang kaibigan, papatayin ka o hahayaan kang mamatay? Insulto na nga sa mga mangingisda natin na tinataboy sila sa atin mismong karagatan at hindi sila maipagtanggol ng […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 832 | Gobyernong Kulambo: On the Alarming Rate of COVID-19 Infections and Deaths in the Country
The country now has the highest death rate and the fastest rise of COVID-19 infections in the Western Pacific region. No wonder our own testing rate couldn’t even hit half of the 30,000 daily tests targeted by the government. Pero sa halip na mataranta ang gobyerno, pinupuri pa ang isa’t isa na parang malaking tagumpay […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 831: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Statement on the Dismissal of the Case Against Teacher Ronnel Mas
The dismissal of the charges against Zambales teacher Ronnel Mas is certainly a breath of fresh air, coming as it does from a judiciary that has mostly upheld the autocrat’s side in legal challenges to the Duterte administration’s legal offensive on the opposition and ordinary citizens who dare to express their opinions against Duterte. It […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 830: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the proposal of Rep. Paolo Duterte, et al. to change the name of NAIA
Change the name of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Pilipinas (PPP)? Ano na namang kabalbalan ito? The lawmakers pushing for it has a distorted sense of nationalism, if at all. Such a proposal is devoid of any salutary objective. It’s plain and simple politics. And stupidity.
Dispatch from Crame No. 829: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Concealment and deceit in Duterte’s 13th weekly report
Pagtatago, pag-iwas, at pagpasa. Yan ang tema ng 13th weekly report ni Duterte sa Congressional Oversight Committee ukol sa COVID-19 response ng kanyang administrasyon. At hindi lang isa o dalawang departamento o ahensya ang dedma at patay-malisya sa pagbibigay ng importanteng impormasyon. Animo’y nagsabwatan ang buong sangay ng ehekutibo sa ilalim ni Duterte na pagtaguan […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 828: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the LGUs’ purported support to the Anti-Terror Bill
Recently, Malacañang boasted of a document from the DILG which purportedly shows an overwhelming support from the majority of local government leaders for the Anti-Terror bill. Sinong niloloko nila? Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque himself said it was no less than Interior Secretary Eduardo Año who asked the local leaders to support the controversial measure. Obviously, […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 827: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Reflections and Message on Father’s Day
Celebrating Father’s Day here in my detention quarters always brings sadness and an unexplainable emptiness. I cannot help but reminisce my fondest memories with my father—my mentor and inspiration in pursuing law and entering public service. It is especially during difficult times such as this that I miss his loving presence, which could have given […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 826: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s reaction to the Justice Secretary’s quip on her bail application
SOJ Guevarra condescendingly asks why it is only now that I applied for bail. A feigned ignorance of what my drug cases are all about, or what they truly are, is what I sense from him. We know that these are not ordinary cases. These are cases of political persecution with the whole power of […]