Opposition Senator Leila de Lima on Friday expressed her disgust over reports the staff of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was allowed to escape during an anti-drug operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in a beach resort in Davao de Oro recently.
De Lima, a vocal critic of the Duterte administration, said the incident involving Jefry Tupas, then former communications officer of the Davao city mayor, reeks of double standard on the part of the government’s handling of illegal drug cases.
“I read with disgust the news report that the city hall staff of Mayor Sara Duterte and her companions were allegedly allowed to escape during the anti-drug operation of PDEA in a beach resort in Davao de Oro last Nov. 6,” De Lima said in a statement.
“Hindi pa natatapos ang (Senate probe sa) Pharmally corruption scandal na sangkot ang mga tao ni Duterte, tapos heto na naman at sangkot sa droga ang tao ng mga Duterte (The Senate has yet to finish its probe on the Pharmally corruption scandal which involves Duterte’s people and yet here again one of the people close to the Duterte’s is involved in drugs),” De Lima lamented.
“In this incident we see again the true face of this drug war. It intently kills the poor, mostly targets small players, allows big-time drug lords to escape, and exempts from arrests people close to the Dutertes. And let me add—it locks up in jail and innocent person, that’s me!,” she added.
Tupas reportedly resigned, but the city government claims she has been terminated from her post.
“O dahil nag-resign na itong si Jefry Tupas, off the hook na siya at mga kasama niya? Kung ganun, wala talagang aasahang rule of law sa mga Duterte kapag sila at mga tao nila ang sangkot (Since this Jefry Tupas has resigned, she and her companions are off the hook? If that’s the case, then we cannot expeect any rule of law from the Dutertes if they and their men are the ones involved),” De Lima lamented.
“Ang totoo at tapat na ‘war on drugs’ ay iyong walang kinikilingan at walang sinasanto, kahit bata pa ni Mayor (A real war on drugs will not exempt or favor any person, even if he or she is close to the mayor),” the detained senator said.
Furthermore, she said a “real war on drugs” will allow the investigation to proceed so the people ca discover the answer to the burning questions particularly on why a staff of Duterte-Carpio was present during a party where drugs were present, being used, passed aroudn and peddled.
“How much did she know about the drug activity in the gathering she was present at before she was allegedly allowed to leave? Why was she allowed to leave? Where do law enforcement agents get the discretion to pick and select who to detain and arrest following a raid?
“The Filipino people deserve answers...Given the events of the last five and a half years, I am no longer surprised that many in the circle of the Duterte family have links to drugs,” De Lima pointed out.
“What never fails to surprise and disgust me is their continued play-acting as if the public doesn't know who they really are. Bistado na kayo!” she stressed.