Former senator Leila de Lima has accused Vice President Sara Duterte of tarnishing the Philippines’ global reputation, citing her controversial actions as justification for the impeachment complaint filed against her.
In an interview on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at a local radio station in the Philippines, De Lima criticized Duterte for failing to address allegations of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds and for issuing public death threats against key officials, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“The world is laughing at us. This is the first time in Philippine history that the second highest official has acted so blatantly,” De Lima said during a Radyo 5 interview.
De Lima pointed to Duterte’s admission of hiring an assassin for protection as “bordering on criminal behavior” and questioned the Vice President’s perceived immunity. “What kind of people are we if we let these offenses slide?” she added.
On Monday, Dec. 2, De Lima joined civil society leaders in filing an impeachment complaint against Duterte, citing grounds such as betrayal of public trust, graft, and high crimes.
