MANILA – Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio dared one of her father’s fiercest critics, detained Sen. Leila de Lima, to propose a law making honesty a requirement for public office.
Duterte-Carpio made the remark on Monday after De Lima slammed her earlier statement that honesty should not be an election issue.
“You are a senator…how about you make a law adding honesty as a requirement for all Filipinos before they can run for public office?” Duterte-Carpio, who chairs the administration-backed regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, said in an open letter.
“Maybe then you can save the government from yourself, Inday Sara, Leni, Digong, Panelo, Alejano, Hilbay, and the all the de Limas of the universe,” she added.
Duterte-Carpio was referring to Vice President Leni Robredo, President Rodrigo Duterte, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, Magdalo representative Gary Alejano, and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay.
Under the law, Philippine senators are only required to be natural-born citizens of the country, at least 35 years old on election day, able to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the Philippines for at least 2 years.
The Davao City mayor defended her earlier remarks, saying honesty is not a requirement to be an election candidate and that senatorial bets of the opposition, which she labeled as “Black Hole candidates,” are not the ones who should set the standards.
“Therefore, Black Hole candidates, who are themselves liars, should not attack a candidate in that manner. I used the same argument on the issue of a college degree or inclusion in the narco-list,” Duterte-Carpio said.
De Lima, earlier this month, said disregard for honesty is “damning” and told Duterte-Carpio that she, along with Panelo, “represent what is wrong and how things could be worse for our government.”
The President’s eldest daughter then called De Lima “the worst” because she is “intelligent and dumb all in one head.”
De Lima has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City since February 2017 as she faced trial for her alleged involvement in the drug trade inside the national penitentiary when she was still justice secretary. (With ABS-CBN News/PN)
