Former senator Leila de Lima (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)

The Philippines has become the laughing stock of the world because of Vice President Sara Duterte's actions, former senator Leila de Lima said as she further justified the move to impeach the second highest-ranked official of the land. 

De Lima, in an interview on Radyo 5 on Tuesday morning, Dec. 3, criticized Duterte for her failure to propeprly address the alleged misuse of P612.5-million confidential funds by her offices, as well as her public death threats against top officials including President Marcos. 

"I think yung buong mundo, pinagtatawanan na tayo. Ngayon lang kasi nangyari yan na yun second highest official of the land, Vice President, lantaran na ganun," De Lima said.

(I think the entire world is laughing at us. This is the first time that the second highest official of the land, has blatantly acted this way.)

"In Philippine history, wala pa ho tayo narinig na ganyan o nakita na ganyan eh. Yes may mga political fued, natural naman yan sa politics. Pero to the extent of making really a direct threat--yung sinasabi nilang conditional threat, there's no such thing as conditional threat," she said.

(We haven't seen the likes of it in Philippine history. Yes there are political fueds, that's natural in politics. But to the extent of making really a direct threat--as to their claim of a conditional threat, there's no such thing as conditional threat.)

Vice President Duterte grabbed headlines recently when she issued death threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

"Hindi naman kontrata yan eh. Inamin niya na meron na siyang hi-nire na assassin kung may mangyari sa kanya (That's not a contract. She admitted to hiring an assassin in case something happens to her). That in itself is a threat na bordering on a criminal behavior," said the ML Party-list first nominee.

"I'm sorry, but is that for nothing? Ano na bang klaseng mga tao tayo, mga Pilipino palalampasin lang yung mga ganyang kasalanan?" an agitated De Lima asked.

(What kind of people are we, us Filipinos, if we would just let slide these kinds of offenses?)

"And yung lack of accountability? Yung feeling na mas mataas kaysa sa batas--untouchable. Pwede ba yan? (And the lack of accountability? The feeling of being above the law--untouchable. Do you allow that?). That is not at all for nothing. It is for something very significant," she said.

On Monday, Dec. 2, De Lima accompanied a group composed of civil society figureheads in filing an impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte. 

The grounds for impeachment were culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, birbery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.