Robredo being used as scapegoat; impeach threat another diversionary tactic —De Lima

Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday accused the administration of using Vice President as a "scapegoat" and the impeachment threat against her a "diversionary tactic" to cover up President Rodrigo Duterte's own culpability.

She also said Presidential Anti-Corruption Commissioner Manuelito Luna was only trying to earn "brownie points" from the President when he [Luna] made the impeachment threat against Robredo last week.

“Nakahanap na naman ang administrasyon ng isa pang mouthpiece para pagtakpan ang patong-patong na kasalanan nila sa bayan,” she said in a statement.

“Calling for the impeachment of the Vice President is also a diversion from the real accountability that President Duterte has to answer,” she added.

De Lima lamented how the Duterte regime is using the Robredo as an "easy scapegoat" for the government’s flagrant failure to uphold human rights and the rule of law in implementing its all-out war on drugs.

“Because the world has spoken once more, the Duterte regime is once again scrambling for a scapegoat for its lack of commitment to uphold human rights. VP Leni is on the receiving end of this dirty trick,” she said.

“Ang tunay na nagtaksil sa kanyang mandato na protektahan ang mamamayang Pilipino ay si Rodrigo Duterte at ang kanyang administrasyon,” she added.

In a statement last week, Luna said Robredo could face impeachment for supporting the United Nations Human Rights Council's planned probe into the Philippine government's war on drugs.

Luna claimed that Robredo's supposed portrayal of the administration as guilty of human rights violations constitutes betrayal of public trust. — MDM, GMA News