It’s De Lima’s turn: Duterte should shut his lousy mouth

(Updated 4:01 p.m.) If Justice Secretary Leila de Lima were to be asked, it's Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who should shut his "lousy mouth."

 

De Lima was reacting to a statement from Duterte expressing dismay over the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation's earlier decision to release David Bangayan, who is said to be big-time rice-smuggler David Tan.

 

"Kung pinapa-shut up ako, I think he should be the one to shut up," De Lima told reporters in an interview in Manila. "Everybody is aware that he’s got a lousy mouth."

 

Duterte had earlier threatened to kill "David Tan" if ever the latter sets foot in Davao City. "I want smuggling of rice in my city stopped. But if you still do not stop your smuggling activities, I will kill you," Duterte was quoted as saying in a press conference in the city last Jan. 7, 2014.

This prompted the Commission on Human Rights to warn Duterte against making such public threats.

In a formal letter sent by CHR chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales to Duterte dated Jan. 10, 2014, it said: "Accordingly, the Legal Investigation Office (LIO) of the Commission has been directed to conduct a fact-finding investigation and legal review of this matter, with a view of the filing of charges, if warranted by the facts of the law in the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the President."

The CHR also ordered its Legal Investigation Office to formally conduct a probe against Duterte for possible charges of human rights violations to be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman. 

The CHR likewise informed Duterte that the LIO probe will also look into a letter signed on his behalf by the law firm Medialdea Ata Bello Guevarra and Suarez, confirming a "shoot-to-kill" order to the law enforcement agencies in Davao City against all criminals who enter his jurisdiction.

Duterte slams CHR
 

Not one to be cowed, Duterte fired back at the CHR, asking the agency to "shut up."

"Eto namang (Commission of) Human Rights just think over ethics? Is that all that you can think of?! Billions and billions are being deprived of the government of taxes. Point out to me in law which says I cannot threaten criminals? Shut up!," he said in an earlier statement posted on YouTube.

De Lima, a former chairperson of the CHR, herself had her share of isues with Duterte while still with the commission.

 

"‘Di ko alam kung seseryosohin natin siya o hindi. Pero vintage mayor Duterte po iyan. Maski noong nasa CHR pa ho ako, pinagsasabihan ko po siya na huwag niya ginagawa iyan and even the current chair of the CHR would also remind him about that style of his," said De Lima, referring to Duterte's public threats to criminals, including a shoot-to-kill order against David Tan.

 

De Lima said the law can be enforced without threatening anybody, saying such threats and shoot-to-kill orders are against the Constitution and "has no place... in our system of law."

 

"Illegal po ang ganyang order—shoot to kill. Hindi niya ho ba alam ‘yan? We can catch this bad guy without resorting to that," De Lima said.

 

De Lima allayed fears of Duterte that David Tan might get away with his crimes, saying the DOJ and the NBI are exerting all efforts to catch the suspect.

 

"We don’t need a reminder from you (Duterte)," said De Lima.

 

Despite standing firm on its position that Bangayan and Tan are one and the same, the NBI had no choice but to set Bangayan after he was able to show—through a birth certificate and valid identification cards—that he is not Tan.

 

The DOJ and the NBI however have already written a Caloocan City Judge—which issued an arrest warrant against Tan—asking for permission to gain access to records of the case, in an effort to find out the real identity of Tan. —With a report from Elizabeth Marcelo/KG, GMA News