Down and dirty

When President Rodrigo Duterte said the war on illegal drugs would be “sustained and relentless,” he also mentioned that it would be “dirty” and he showed just how dirty it was when he made some serious allegations against Sen. Leila De Lima whom he didn’t name in a speech at the 115th PNP anniversary in Camp Crame.

He talked about a lady senator who supposedly had a married lover, her driver whom she provided with a house and who is said to be receiving drug money that he funnels to her.

The President didn’t name names but was later quoted as saying that it was De Lima, who coincidentally will start her Senate justice committee hearings on the drug killings in the country sometime today.

The senator’s initial reaction was one of disbelief and dismissal as she was among those in the Senate who celebrated the victory of Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz during her visit last week.

So while people can expect fireworks in the Senate justice committee hearing, the senator vowed to balance her handling of the witnesses and resource persons, among them Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

The President’s latest broadside comes merely weeks after he railed against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who questioned the President’s naming and shaming of judges allegedly tied to the illegal drug trade.

But anyone who’s familiar with their history would know by now that the President won’t apologize to De Lima. In fact, the latest word out is that President Duterte will produce evidence to back up his claim.

Is this an indication that the Duterte administration is concerned over any fallout that may occur during the Senate investigation into the drug-related killings?

The President’s allies in the Senate, including Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, aren’t doing anything to stop the inquiry which is just as well.

The so-called revelation by President Duterte won’t deter Sen. De Lima on her promise to pursue the Senate inquiry on the killings which are over a thousand now, and based on police reports, it’s getting hard keeping track of all the deaths of drug suspects in the country.

For a public that has gotten used to the President’s crude remarks and verbal bombast, people can debate until they’re blue in the face about the propriety and timing of President Duterte’s shaming and naming of De Lima as an alleged beneficiary of drug payoffs.

But solid evidence will always be the foundation on which public opinion and judgment can be shaped and will determine if this Duterte tactic is justified or not.
Unorthodox, unsettling and upsetting these may be, but the President may have a point in this naming and shaming initiative of his. Today, the ball is now in Sen. De Lima’s court, and she best be able to play the game well.