President Duterte has branded Senator Leila de Lima a "bitch" who supposedly had an affair with an inmate at the state penitentiary.
The President claimed that De Lima portrayed herself as a "prisoner of conscience” before the international community despite her behavior.
"Si Jaybee Sebastian ba 'yun, 'yung isang lover ni De Lima. 'Yung pinapasok niya yung kubol. Hindi maglabas ng tatlong oras (Jaybee Sebastian was a lover of De Lima. She went to his room and did not go out for three hours)," Duterte said during a government assembly on the campaign against the communist conflict in Tacloban City, Leyte.
"Tapos ngayon, she is the only bitch na napaniwala niya ang mundo na (And now, she is the only bitch who made the world believe that) she's a prisoner of conscience," he added.
Duterte was also baffled that De Lima managed to reap awards abroad.
"Binigyan pa ng award nitong mga loko-loko na mga Europeans kaya galit ako diyan.. hindi ako nakikipag-usap. Ayaw ko. Mga ulol kayo (She was given an award by the crazy Europeans. That's why I'm angry with them. I don't talk to them. I don't like it. You fools)," he said.
De Lima, a known critic of Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, has been detained at a police custodial center since February 2017 pending a trial on drug charges.
Duterte previously insisted that the drug allegations against De Lima were true, adding her alleged "sex escapade" led her to violate the law. The senator has denied the allegations.
The President, meantime, affirmed that Sebastian died due to coronavirus illness while inside the New Bilibid Prison last year. The remains were cremated afterwards.
"Patay na 'yun. Na-cremate kaagad kasi na-COVID nga daw. Ganoon lang ang buhay (He's dead. He was cremated reportedly due to COVID. That's life)," he said.
Sebastian, convicted kidnapper and car thief, served as witness in the drug trade inside the state penitentiary. He was likewise a co-respondent in the drug trafficking cases filed against De Lima.