SolGen Calida: De Lima should stop acting like a crybaby

MANILA, Philippines – Solicitor General Jose Calida said Senator Leila de Lima should “stop acting like a vacuous victim and crybaby” after the embattled senator referred to Calida and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II as the government’s “abusive and arrogant” officials.

“Senator De Lima’s latest tirades against President Duterte and the government clearly show why she is the high priestess of hypocrisy. She should stop acting like a vacuous victim and crybaby,” Calida said in a statement on Tuesday, February 21.

In an earlier news conference condemning the drug charges filed against her by the Department of Justice (DOJ), De Lima hit both Calida and Aguirre for being President Rodrigo Duterte’s instruments in a supposed campaign against her.

De Lima referred to Calida’s manifestation before the Court of Appeals, saying Napoles is innocent in the serious illegal detention case as one of the examples of Duterte’s supposed tolerance of criminals. (READ: Solgen: There’s no deal with Napoles)

“Andyan din ang mga pangunahing enforcers ng mga utos ni Pangulong Duterte – sila Secretary Aguirre at SolGen Calida na mga abusado at aroganteng opisyal sa ating pamahalaan. Huwag na tayong magtanong kung bakit sa panahon ni Duterte naglabasan at namayagpag ang lahat ng mga kriminal, corrupt, halang ang bituka at maiitim ang kaluluwa,” De Lima said.

(Duterte’s primary enforcers of his orders are there – Secretary Aguirre and Solgen Calida, both abusive and arrogant officials of the government. We should not be surprised why in Duterte’s time, all criminals, the corrupt, the cruel and the evil ones are the ones who thrive.)

Calida, who earlier tagged De Lima as “public enemy number one” over the same drug allegations, said: “My unsolicited advice to her is: face the charges with equanimity and dignity befitting a senator.” (READ: DOJ files drug charges vs De Lima)

‘All rehashed’

Aguirre, for his part, said that the turnaround testimony of retired Davao police SP03 Arturo “Arthur” Lascañas are all “rehashed” and “bereft of any factual basis.”

“It is all rehashed and Senator De Lima knows it. She served as Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights from May 7, 2008 to June 30, 2010 and as Secretary of Justice from June 30, 2010 to October 12, 2015, yet she did not file any case against then Mayor Duterte on the purported killings. Even the timing is suspect, why come out only now? Is somebody diverting the public’s attention from what is to come? One cannot help but ask these questions,” Aguirre said in a statement.

Aguirre also warned De Lima to be careful of her statements.

“Just a piece of unsolicited advice to her, from someone she referred to as a mediocre lawyer, she should be careful about her statements, she was already inciting to sedition earlier,” Aguirre said.

During her news conference, De Lima referred to the 1987 EDSA revolution and called on Filipinos to fight what she said was “another dictatorial regime.”

“Ngayon ay panahon na naman upang tayo ay manindigan at tumayo sa harap ng isa pang kriminal na diktador at rehimeng mapaniil,” De Lima said.

(It is the time for us again to stand up to another criminal dictator and an oppressive regime.)

She later clarified she was not calling for the extreme measure of another People Power uprising.

In a press briefing at Malacañang, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said there was nothing criminal about De Lima’s statements.

“There’s nothing criminal about that. If it’s inciting to rise up in arms, that’s the one that should be of concern. Otherwise if it’s just a call to gather to express their sentiment, that’s actually freedom of expression and assembly,” Guevarra said. – Rappler.com