Senator Leila De Lima reacted to tough talking President Rodrigo Duterte after the president unveiled the names of officials who allegedly involved in drug trade. De Lima said, there's a need for evidence and due process for every drug suspect and lead them to justice or the public declaration of their names may be regarded and will turn out to be a “witch hunt.”
In a statement, “To be honest, it’s difficult to pass judgment on the style of the President, especially that a great majority of our people seem to approve of this naming and shaming strategy,” De Lima said in a report to Inquirer.
The senator also said, “If the President thinks it’s an effective strategy, then who are we to dictate on him. His strong will and great determination to end the drug problem deserve high praise and credit.”
The latest names aired by Duterte during his speech should be pursued in court if there was an evidence, De Lima said.
“Having said that, as a student of constitutional law, let me express these thoughts: If there is evidence against these people he has named and shamed, cases should just be filed against them so that warrants for their arrest can be issued. If there is no evidence, then this is a plain and simple witch hunt,” she said.
She is on testing the president to produce proofs and file a case against all that he named.
Source: Inquirer