“Absent any other available reliable information, I am not discounting the fact that this is another way of the government ‘persuading’ the Bilibid 19 to testify against me,” De Lima said.
“I am not discounting the possibility that this so-called ‘riot’ is Malacañang’s way of sending its messages to prisoners who refuse to implicate me in the Bilbid drug trade as part of Aguirre’s and Malacañang’s teleserye drama projecting me as Bilibid drug queen,” the senator added.
Chinese drug lord Tony Co died while three other high-profile inmates, including Jaybee Sebastian and Peter Co, were hurt in a stabbing incident inside Building 14 of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Sebastian was a “government asset,” De Lima said, during her term as secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“I plead to Malacañang to stop this tragic, desperate and despicable actions. These prisoners are supposed to be under the government’s protection,” De Lima said.
“To threaten them with violence and murder simply because they refuse to be used in the ongoing House hearing is the height of Mafia tactics and gangster-style operations that makes this government worse than a narco-state. It makes this government an assassin state, a state that promotes murder and summary execution as policy and as weapon against its perceived enemies,” she added.
De Lima said the four inmates who were involved in the supposed riot were those who have yet to be convinced by the government to testify against her.
She said she received several text messages from “A1 sources” that Sebastian and his family was being threatened for refusing to testify against her.
Another text message said Sgt. Jonel Sanchez, former bodyguard of De Lima, was “being forced to sign affidavit but he said he is innocent.” Sanchez was supposedly De Lima's bagman.
De Lima said she feels “helpless” as her former staff were also being pressured by the government.
Several inmates have earlier been presented by the DOJ before a House committee inquiry accusing De Lima of receiving drug payoffs to fund her senatorial campaign back in May.
De Lima doubts inmates were using shabu
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the prison riot inside the NBP happened at around 7:40 a.m. He said the incident started after another inmate, convicted police officer Clarence Dongail confronted Tony Co’s group, who were allegedly using shabu inside their cell.
But De Lima doubted Aguirre’s claim, saying: “Napakatanga naman natin na maniniwala tayo sa ganyang storya.”
De Lima said President Rodrigo Duterte, in his desperation to pin her down, is being put to shame by the government’s concocted stories.
“Nandyan ang mga SAF (Special Action Force). Tapos gagawan ng storya na ganyan na nagsha-shabu kaya nagka-riot? Desperation yan ng pangulo para siraan ako. Hindi niyo na iniisip kung ano nagiging itsura ninyo sa mata ng bayan at sa mundo, kayo na ang pinagtatawanan, hindi po ako,” De Lima said.
The senator turned emotional during her press conference held at the Senate, saying it was possible that the NBP riot will be again blamed on her.
“Ano na naman implication nila, kagagwan ko na naman yan? Ina-api tapos ganyan pa gagawin nila? Lahat na lang sinisisi nila sa akin and they call themselves men?” De Lima said.
Secretary Aguirre said Peter Co was in critical condition while Sebastian was already in a stable condition at the Medical Center of Muntinlupa City.
Another high-profile inmate, Vicente Sy, was also hurt in the incident. He was rushed to the Ospital ng Muntinlupa.
‘I WANT TO FIGHT HERE’
De Lima dares Duterte: Arrest me now, I’ll wait for you
Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday dared President Rodrigo Duterte to have her arrested immediately amid accusations of her involvement in the illegal drug trade.“Tama na. Hulihin ninyo na ako ngayon. ‘Yun naman talaga gusto niyo. Ikulong ninyo na ako ngayon. I’m here. Do what you want to me, Mr. President. I will wait for you,” De Lima said.
The embattled senator said she will not run away from the allegations against her, no matter how concocted these are, as she reiterated her innocence.
“What am I supposed to do now? Tell me now. I’m not going to leave this country and escape anything because there is nothing to escape from,” De Lima said.
“I want to fight here in the country. Hindi po ako duwag dahil wala akong kasalanan. ‘Yung mga nagtatago lamang, at tsaka 'yung mga duwag ang umaatras. Hindi si Leila de Lima. Hindi ako pinalaki ng tatay ko para maging duwag,” the senator added.
Asked for comment, Duterte on Wednesday said De Lima should take a break.
"With all due respect... I think she is breaking down. I suggest she takes days off. If she keeps on yakking, she will have a nervous breakdown," Duterte said in a press conference before leaving for his official visit in Vietnam.
Watch President Duterte Departure for Vietnam 9/28/2016
"Kung talagang aamin siya eh talagang makukulong siya," he said.
De Lima turned emotional in a press briefing held at the Senate, saying even her former staff are being harassed by the government in an attempt to testify against her.
“I feel so helpless. I cannot even help them with lawyers,” the senator said.
She said the accusations against her are fueled by the “personal vendetta” of Duterte and the “shady characters” who may have an axe to grind with her.
“This is the worst challenge in its sobrang sheer brazenness. It’s almost surreal, unimaginable, unprecedented na ginagawa ng sitting Pangulo ang ginagawa niya ngayon against a sitting senator because of personal vendetta and whatever motives he has,” De Lima said.
“Tapos ginagamit as pawns, as tools, as instruments mga the likes of Aguirre and all other operators,” she added referring to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
Distracted
De Lima said the allegations against her is already affecting also her family, and distracting her from her work as a senator.“I have no option. I’m just here. I’m just trying to do my job even if I’m so distracted,” she said.
“It has taken a toll on my health, on my well being. My family is suffering... No one in this room can imagine itong dinadala ko dito sa loob na hindi ko alam bakit ako, ako at ako,” De Lima said.
The neophyte senator admitted that she wished she hadn’t won in the May elections so as not to be the target of the government.
“Napaginitan ulit ako when I initiated the probe into extrajudicial killings. On the other hand, trabaho ito, mandato ng bayan, may gagawin akong trabaho so ang attitude ko palagi, kung ano 'yung tama, ginagawa ko,” De Lima said.
De Lima initiated the Senate probe on extrajudicial killings and summary executions amid the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
- Source: www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/583019/news/nation/de-lima-calls-gov-t-assassin-state-following-bilibid-riot
- Source: www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/583018/news/nation/de-lima-dares-duterte-arrest-me-now-i-ll-wait-for-you
De Lima - The Government Is Behind The Riot In New Bilibid Prison
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