By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Former Senator and Liberal Party (LP) spokesperson Leila de Lima has assailed Vice President Sara Duterte for defending embattled Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and for keeping mum on China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Higit sa lahat: Taumbayan ang inuuna ng oposisyon. Hindi ang pagpapalawak at pagpapanatili sa kapangyarihan. Hindi ang pagtatanggol sa wanted na religious leader o pagpatay sa libu-libong Pilipino,” De Lima said.
“Lalo namang hindi ang pagbubulag-bulagan sa pang-aapi sa ating mga mangingisda at pang-aagaw sa ating teritoryo ng mga dayuhan,” she added.
De Lima also sharply rebuked former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for claiming that VP Duterte is now the country’s opposition leader after she tendered her resignation as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“Uniteam has formally been dissolved and she (VP Duterte) has just become the leader of the opposition,” Roque posted on Facebook.
But De Lima debunked Roque’s declaration.
“Mariing tinututulan ng Partido Liberal ang naging deklarasyon ni dating Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque matapos magbitiw ni VP Sara Duterte sa kanyang posisyon sa gabinete. Aniya, sa pagkalusaw ng Uniteam, si VP Sara na raw ang leader ng oposisyon,” De Lima said in a statement issued by LP.
She argued that an opposition leader should have a foundation of “accountability, transparency, and concern for others,” which she said VP Duterte’s track record lacks.
“Sa kanyang pagbibitiw, wala namang naganap na pag-ako sa responsibilidad, o pagbabago ng mga prinsipyo at paninindigan. Paano naging oposisyon ang may pananagutang hanggang ngayon, sinisingil pa ng taumbayan,” De Lima stressed.
(el Amigo/mnm)
