De Lima unfazed by Duterte: ‘He can continue to insult me for all I care’

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday said she would not be "cowed" by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's insults, and will continue to speak against the alleged Duterte-sactioned summary executions in the southern Philippine city.

"I cannot be threatened and cowed by anyone. He can continue to insult and vilify me for all I care," De Lima told reporters in a text message. "But I will not stop saying what I want and need to say on the issue of summary executions, in general, and on the Davao Death Squad (DDS), in particular."

De Lima, a former Commission on Human Rights chairperson, was reacting to a statement made by Duterte to reporters Tuesday night in Davao City where he threatened to bring up personal issues against De Lima, who has linked him to extrajudicial killings in the city.

De Lima said in a past interview that Duterte could face criminal charges for supposedly confirming his links with the notorious Davao Death Squad (DDS), which has been blamed for several vigilante-style killings—mostly of petty criminals and suspected drug traffickers—in Davao City.

The Justice secretary described Duterte's admission as "annoying, very disturbing, and unacceptable," and urged the public not to "idolize" the tough-talking mayor.

Duterte later clarified, in a GMA Davao report, that when he admitted links to the DDS, he was referring to the Davao Development System, a "guiding principle" he lives by to address the cause of crimes in his turf. He said his admission on DDS ties was more of a challenge to his critics to file charges against him.

Duterte is being urged by several groups to run for president in 2016, but the mayor has thumbed down the idea, saying he doesn't want a national position.

Meanwhile, De Lima, while being rumored to be prepping for a senatorial bid, has repeatedly said she has no plans for 2016 yet. She said she is still awaiting for invitation from the ruling Liberal Party to join next year's elections. —KBK, GMA News