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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Nababahag ang buntot': De Lima smells fear from the Dutertes

'Nababahag ang buntot': De Lima smells fear from the Dutertes

Published Apr 27, 2026 02:11 pm

At A Glance

  • House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima can't help but smell fear from the direction of impeachment respondent Vice President Sara Duterte and the latter's husband lawyer Manases Carpio.
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)



House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima can't help but smell fear from the direction of impeachment respondent Vice President Sara Duterte and the latter's husband lawyer Manases Carpio.
This, after De Lima got wind of Carpio's plan to sue her, other congressmen including Akbayan Party-list Reps. Chel Diokno and Perci Cendaña, as well as Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) officials on Monday, April 27, for disclosure of the couple’s bank records during the impeachment hearings of the House Committee on Justice.
"Sa ginagawa nila ngayon, halatang-halata na nababahag ang buntot nila na sagutin ang mga alegasyon, at gusto na lang pagtakpan o ilihis lagi ang isyu. Hindi pwedeng gawing panangga lang ang korte sa kaduwagan nila," said De Lima on Sunday, April 26.
(With what they are doing now, it is obvious they are too afraid to answer the allegations, preferring instead to cover up or divert the issue. The courts cannot be used as a shield for their cowardice.)
Carpio pushed through with the filing of the criminal charge on the disclosure of bank accounts, violation of privacy on Monday morning.
Also charged was Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, chairperson of the justice panel.
"Karapatan po nila yan, tulad ng ginawa nilang pagdulog sa Korte Suprema at Quezon City Regional Trial Court para pigilan na naman o ilihis ang isyu sa ginagawang pagdinig sa impeachment complaints laban kay VP Sara," added De Lima.
(It is their right, just as they went to the Supreme Court and the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to once again block or divert the issue from the ongoing hearings on the impeachment complaints against VP Sara.)
"We will wait for the official copy of the complaint once it is filed to study it thoroughly and discuss it with my lawyers," noted the ex-senator, who is an endorser of one of the two active impeachment complaints against Duterte.
De Lima, a lawyer, argued that the fact that evidence of ill-gotten wealth was exposed in the course of the impeachment proceedings does not make such exposure criminal. "It is a direct consequence of impeachment as an accountability mechanism," she said.
"At kung iniisip nila na sa pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa atin ay masisindak nila tayo, o na magdadalawang-isip o titigil tayo sa paghahanap ng katotohanan at pananagutan sa mabibigat na alegasyon laban kay VP Sara, imposibleng mangyari yan, she added.
(And if they think that by filing cases against us they can intimidate us, or make us hesitate or stop in seeking the truth and accountability for the serious allegations against VP Sara, that is impossible.)
'They run to the courts'
Cendaña, in a video statement sent to House reporters on Monday, said that the impeachment proceedings satisfied the exemption provided for by the Bank Secrecy Law. He says this means that no violation took place.
Akbayan Party-list Reps. Perci Cendaña (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Akbayan Party-list Reps. Perci Cendaña (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
He also chided the Dutertes by saying: "Kapag sila ay nahuhuli, nabubuko o nasusukol tatakbo sa korte (When they get caught, uncovered, or cornered, they run to the courts)."
"Pero sa dulo, simple lang ang tanong, may na-violate ba na batas ang mga members ng Committee on Justice at ang AMLC sa paglalabas ng report on covered and suspicious transactions? Malinaw ang sagot: Wala," Cendaña said.
(But in the end, the question is simple: Did the members of the Committee on Justice or the AMLC violate any law by releasing the report on covered and suspicious transactions? The clear answer: None.)
"Mas malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw sa tanghaling tapat ngayong summer may exemption sa Bank Secrecy Law at yuon ay impeachment cases," he noted.
(It’s clearer than the midday summer sun that there is an exemption to the Bank Secrecy Law, and that is impeachment cases.)
The assistant minority leader continued: "Kaya ang advise ko sa kampo ni VP Sara at kay VP Sara: kesa mag-aksaya ng papel ng oras sa kaka-file ng mga kaso humarap na lang siya sa darating na Miyerkules sa Committee on Justice at doon siya magpaliwanag."
(So my advice to VP Sara and her camp is this: instead of wasting paper and time filing cases, she should just appear this coming Wednesday before the Committee on Justice and explain herself there.)

Related Tags

AMLC bank secrecy law Leila de Lima Perci Cendaña Chel Diokno SARA DUTERTE Manases Carpio Impeachment
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