(Eagle News) — For Opposition Senator Leila de Lima, her wish for President Rodrigo Duterte as he celebrates his 74th birthday is “enlightenment.”
“Enlightenment. True and profound enlightenment. Happy birthday po,” she said when prodded by the media to share her birthday wish for the President at the sidelines of her trial for the illegal drug case filed against her at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) last March 27.
De Lima, a critic of the President’s war on drugs, even raised her suspicion that the President and his former Special Assistant, senatorial aspirant Christopher “Bong” Go, were protectors of illegal drugs, in light of the accusations coming from a dismissed police officer, Eduardo Acierto.
“Kailangan itanong natin, sangkot rin kaya si Pangulong Duterte at Bong Go sa iligal na droga. Mukhang sila ang tunay na protektor ng mga drug lords,” she said.
“Kaya nga nila ito ginawa sa akin – itong mga kasinungalingan at mga pekeng kaso para ilihis ang taumbayan sa katotohanan, at pagtakpan ang kaniyang mga krimen – mga EJKs at ang pagkasangkot mismo nila sa iligal na droga,” she added.
-Lacson defends Duterte, says Acierto’s claims and timing, very suspicious-
For Senator Panfilo Lacson, however, the allegations made by Acierto were suspicious.
He questioned why it took Acierto 15 years before he exposed the alleged illegal drug links of Michael Yang which the dismissed police officer is trying to pin on Duterte.
“Yung pag-a-accuse ngayon at saka yung dokumento, parang suspect na yun e dahil ano ang motive?” the senator, who was a former police chief, said during the Kapihan sa Senado.
He said Acierto could have exposed this alleged drug link when he was testifying at the Senate Blue Ribbon investigation of the P11 billion shabu shipment last year, having appeared twice during the senate probe.
“Bakit hindi niya ginawa? Bakit ngayon siya lumabas? Nagtataka nga rin ako. OK, nagtatago siya, pero ano motive niya in coming out and accusing President Rodrigo Duterte with a document that he already showed to several officials?” asked Lacson.
