De Lima slams ‘anti-women’ Rody in CHR speech

MANILA, Philippines – Experiencing attacks on her womanhood from “all directions,” Sen. Leila de Lima warned yesterday that President Duterte, his allies and fanatics were creating a generation of woman haters.

The issue, she said, was even bigger than her feud with Duterte, as she noted that the country’s democracy was in peril under the present administration.

In a speech during a forum at the Commission on Human Rights, the senator decried being the subject of attacks from Duterte, his political allies and ordinary citizens, particularly because of her supposed sexual activities.

She said she was disturbed that some Cabinet officials and lawmakers were actually defending moves to show in a congressional inquiry a supposed sex video of her and a male partner.

“What pains me most is seeing women defending this kind of behavior. Perhaps that’s one of the greatest offenses against our cause: that women are turned against each other,” De Lima said.

“It is perhaps second only to the offense of polluting the minds of the future generation, of passing on a legacy of misogyny, of abusive behavior towards women, of making girls feel lesser in worth than boys, of giving them less freedom and less ownership over their body, their life and their future, of taking away from boys the chance to develop a sense of accountability for their actions that would make them better persons, sons, brothers, partners, husbands and fathers,” she said.

De Lima said such belittling of women was implicit not only in Duterte’s statements but also in social media, where his followers “learned the craft of weaponizing humor” against women.

Having been a lawyer and having worked in government for a long time, De Lima said she thought she would not be fazed by trials life would throw at her.

But the viciousness of the persecution against her was totally unexpected, she said. Still, De Lima stressed, “I met a part of myself that, up to that point, I didn’t know existed,” referring to “the survivor” in her.

She expressed gratitude to her supporters and maintained that she would not back down.

During the forum, De Lima called out Duterte anew for his supposed misogynistic statements, playing several videos of the President, including his controversial rape remarks during the campaign where he was found by the CHR in violation of the Magna Carta of Women.

CHR asked to probe Aguirre

Several women’s groups led by former CHR chair Loretta Ann Rosales are also seeking an investigation against Justice  Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and several lawmakers over their remarks in connection with the alleged sex video of De Lima.

“There are signs…There is a reason. They want to set an example out of me, they want me to be an example of what will happen to those who would dare speak up and dare oppose this administration,” De Lima said during the forum on women’s rights.

The senator, a fierce critic of the present administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign, said Duterte was the type of leader who could not take criticism.

“What does it mean? Muzzling of dissent. When dissent is being muzzled, when free speech is being trampled upon, free expression, free thoughts, (those who do not agree that) killings are the best approach to address criminality and the drug problem… This is certainly so bad against democracy,” she added. – With Paolo Romero, Marvin Sy