MANILA – Detained Sen. Leila de Lima once again hit the Duterte administration, saying that Filipinos are still not free from injustice and poverty.
In her Independence Day message, De Lima said the 28,000 persons allegedly killed under government’s “war on drugs” were proof that the there is still no real freedom in the country.
“‘Hindi ka malaya, mahaba lang ang tanikala.’ Ito po ang kasabihan na tila naglalarawan sa sitwasyon ng bansa natin sa kasalukuyan – hindi tayo ganap na malaya,” De Lima said.
The opposition senator added: “Samahan din natin ang ating mga kababayang patuloy na naninindigan, silang mga nasa gobyerno, alagad ng simbahan o karaniwang mamamayan, para maituwid ang baluktot at mapanagot ang mga tiwali at abusado.”
De Lima also said the entry of Chinese nationals illegally working in the country dampens the freedom of Filipinos.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, for his part, urged the public to treat Independence Day as “a reminder that the ways of freedom are never easy.”
“We continue to be faced with external and internal challenges that erode our people’s hopes and threaten their freedom,” Pangilinan said. “For how can we be independent when our people are hungry for food, jobs, and justice?”
“Each day, we are always called upon to take action and keep guard to fight for and protect our territory, decent employment, equitable opportunities, and right to truth,” he added./PN
