Detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima has strongly denied allegations in an opinion piece that she is a coddler of communists.
De Lima issued the denial after Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflic wrote an opinion piece entitled “‘Tis no Leila’s dilemma that communists have infiltrated Congress” published Saturday.
“Gen. Parlade, you seem so worried about my recent statements condemning the red-tagging of members of the Makabayan bloc and the recent killings of NDF peace consultants (Yes, I call them peace consultants),” De Lima said.
“Is it that bothersome for you to know that there are still people who believe in the right to life of every human being?” she asked.
De Lima slammed Duterte’s red-tagging rampage against the Makabayan bloc legislators and cried foul over the killings of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants and couple Eugenia Magpantay and Agaton Topacio.
De Lima maintained that no one could just be summarily executed and planted with evidence regardless if he is a communist or not, fugitive or not, criminal or not, rich or poor.
“I am and will always be for human rights and the rule of law. I will never stop condemning any and all forms of assault against human rights and human dignity, whether committed by the State or its non-state adversaries. Neither will I be silenced by an enabler like you (referring to Parlade),” she said.
Meanwhile, De Lima condemned the killing of another lawyer by unidentified gunmen in Cebu last Dec. 17.
“I vehemently condemn the killing of another lawyer, Atty. Ma. Concepcion Landero-Ole, in Danao, Cebu,” she said.
“The culture of killings and disregard for human life as sown by the Duterte regime continues to reap its grim toll almost daily, further desensitizing us to what in any civilized society should be an abominable and monstrous state of affairs that cannot simply be allowed to continue,” she added.
De Lima, also a lawyer, said the culture of violence and killings should stop now.