Dutertes crying for ‘due process’? Recall Leila’s ordeal, says Leni
As the Duterte family, lawyers and supporters cry out for “due process,” former Vice President Leni Robredo had one thing to say: Think of what former Sen. Leila de Lima went through.
At a press conference on Saturday in Naga City with De Lima, a fellow Bikolana and a Mamamayang Liberal party list candidate, Robredo said she could not help but compare ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s situation with De Lima’s seven-year ordeal in jail over trumped-up drug charges which were all later dismissed.
Accountability, justice
Duterte—who for six years mocked and boxed out Robredo from his administration—is now under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and could be the first Asian head of state to be tried by the tribunal for crimes against humanity.
“This is a first step toward accountability, justice—and De Lima went through it too,” said Robredo. “All this talk about everything that’s happening, about due process, about how unfair everything is, I could not help but keep going back to her (De Lima’s) situation.”
Far cry from Crame
“All I want to say is that she endured all of that because she followed due process. She faced the charges no matter how difficult and unfair those charges were, even if it was obvious political harassment,” Robredo said.
The former vice president noted that the ICC’s detention facility in Scheveningen was a far cry from Camp Crame custodial center where De Lima was held.
“Duterte has access to a computer, his living conditions are okay, he can freely roam around, he has conjugal and family visits,” Robredo said.
“This was not the case for Senator Leila. Her room was so small, so hot, there was no air conditioning. She did not have access to a computer even though she was working as a senator at the time.”
De Lima almost died after being held captive by an Abu Sayyaf inmate known for beheading hostages in October 2022, Robredo said.
