De Lima worried Duterte's ‘sexist’ remarks could result in mistrial of her cases

Senator Leila De Lima on Monday expressed concern that President Rodrigo Duterte's recent sexist remarks against her could negatively impact her remaining drug-related cases before the court.

In her recent dispatch, De Lima said Duterte's continued public shaming of her could lead to "a mistrial of the most unjust proportions."

“His massive demolition campaign against me in 2016 already constitutes a trial and conviction by publicity even before any official investigation was conducted against me,” she said.

“His prejudicial statements delivered now during the ongoing criminal proceedings against me can only contribute to what is looming to be a mistrial of the most unjust proportions,” she added.

In his speech in Tacloban, Leyte last week, Duterte renewed his attack against De Lima, saying she was merely a "bitch" who made the world believe that she was a detainee of conscience.

Duterte mentioned De Lima when he insinuated that the senator was the lover of late drug lord Jaybee Sebastian.

De Lima said that in mentioning Sebastian, Duterte seemed to be telling the courts that the only acceptable verdict in her last two remaining cases is conviction.

“Because what judge will act otherwise when the President himself has already passed a judgment of guilt, especially now that even judges and lawyers are being assassinated all over the country under the regime of extra-judicial killings enabled and encouraged by Duterte himself?” she asked.

“I am in the dock for crimes that I did not commit and can land me in jail forever. Yet the President has no qualms in rigging the game, brooking no chance that I am given a fair trial, unhampered by any remedy from my end, for as long as Duterte sits on his throne. If this is not injustice and persecution of the highest order, I do not know what else is,” she added.

At the same time, De Lima wondered what remedy she has against Duterte's remarks against her considering that the Supreme Court has already dismissed her petition for a writ of habeas data against the President on ground of immunity from suit.

“With Duterte’s latest sexist tirades against me, and with the Supreme Court’s junking of my habeas data petition that ruled that I have no remedy against the President because he is immune from suit, what is now my remedy against Duterte’s continued vilification?” she asked.

“What institution can now protect me from this madman’s incessant violation of my human rights and assaults on my dignity as a woman and as a human being? The Supreme Court says none. Isn’t this tyranny?” she added.

De Lima has been detained since February 2017 due to drug-related charges, which her camp has repeatedly branded as “trumped-up.”

In February, the Muntinlupa court junked one of De Lima's drug-related charges by granting the demurrer to evidence in her case involving Jose Adrian Dera.—LDF, GMA News