De Lima Press Conference on National Bilibid Prison Incident

Senator Leila de Lima held a press conference on the incident in the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Buildings 14 and 19 on 28 September 2016 where Tony Co was killed and injured three high profile inmates.

SENATOR LEILA DE LIMA: Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. Napilitan na naman ako magsagawa ng instant presscon dahil nga po sa mga developments ng mga nangyayari, mula pa kahapon, yung mga banner story ngayon, and yung breaking news ngayong umaga.

So before I answer questions, and before I pour out again my anger and emotions, allow me to read two statements. Hindi naman ho ito mahaba. One is on President Duterte’s admission of mistakes in the alleged drug matrix dahil marami ho sa inyo na naman ang humihingi sa akin ng reaksyon. And another statement is on the violent riot that just happened kanina at the New Bilibid Prison. So the first one, on the apology.

President Duterte’s apology is a clear admission that there is really nothing in that ridiculous drug matrix that links me to the illegal drug trade. It is tragic that the highest official of the land has not only been fed lies and wrong information but also has listened to rumors and intrigues.

The alleged drug matrix, as I pointed out before, is nothing but trash and therefore, should not be given any grain of credibility. It also casts serious doubts on the people behind the so-called intelligence information, which to my mind, do not appear intelligent at all.

Most importantly, if this is the kind of information fed to the President, how reliable is the information fed to the PNP by barangay captains in Operation Tokhang? What does that tell us about barangay captains’ lists of drug pushers and addicts who are subjected to tokhang and vigilante assassinations based on said lists, if intel provided the President himself is prone to mistakes?

This is the problem with EJKs and the death penalty. No amount of apologies from the President will bring back the dead to life. He is not Jesus Christ who can bring back Lazarus to life, contrary to the belief of his fanatic supporters.

My next statement, on the violent riot:

Reports have just come in that a supposed “riot” at Building 14 of the NBP which houses Jaybee Sebastian and the other so-called Bilibid 19 has resulted in the killing of Tony Co and the hospitalization of Sebastian, Peter Co, and Vicente Sy. There are also reports saying Peter Co is either in critical or stable condition.

Several prisoners in Bldg. 14 have one thing in common, aside from being the drug lords that I separated from the general prison population and isolated in Bldg. 14 as a result of the raid conducted on December 15, 2014. Several of these prisoners refused and continue to refuse to testify against me in the House hearings as their protector. They should know, because I was the one who started all their misery by cutting them off from their drug trade and luxurious living quarters. They were also the ones who filed several cases against me, both criminal and administrative, with the Ombudsman because of their alleged “persecution” after they were singled out for isolation in Bldg. 14.

The official version of the DOJ is that this was a riot. Absent any other available reliable information, I am not discounting the fact that this is another way of the government “persuading” the Bilibid 19 to testify against me, and that this incident should serve as a lesson to those who refuse to cooperate with the government and do Aguirre’s and Malacañang’s bidding. If this is the case, this means we have reached a new level of murderous policy in this government. I am not discounting the possibility that this so-called “riot” is Malacañang’s way of sending its messages to prisoners who refuse to implicate me in the Bilibid Drug Trade as part of Aguirre’s and Malacañang’s teleserye drama projecting me as the Bilibid Drug Queen.

If this is the truth, I plead to Malacañang to stop this tragic, desperate and despicable actions. These prisoners are supposed to be under the government’s protection. To threaten them with violence and murder simply because they refuse to be used in the ongoing House hearing is the height of Mafia tactics and gangster-style operations that makes this government worse than a Narco-State. It makes this government an Assassin-State, a State that promotes murder and summary execution as policy and as weapon against its perceived enemies.

DE LIMA: That’s the end of my second statement. And before I answer questions, may I also share with you…I wanted to share this yesterday pero hindi ko na muna ginawa. Pero, I think it’s also timely to also disclose this. Hindi ho ba nasabi ko na po sa inyo na talagang meron pa rin silang mga ginagawa na talagang kinukumbinsi pa rin nila yang sila Sebastian at yung mga iba pa.

Another A1 source told me na maski yan sila Peter Co, sila, yung mga ano ngayon…Tony Co, and Vicente Sy, and a few others, sila kasi yung mga hindi pa nakukumbinsi, saka yung iba pa na mga gang leaders. Yung sinabi ko po sa inyo dati na merong subjected to psychological torture, I was asking again for their permission to expose kung sino po yan, pero hindi pa po muna ako binigyan ng permiso kanina. Sabi po nila, sana po maintindihan niyo, yung pinarating po sa akin na message. Wala naman po akong diretsong contact sa kanila. Ang sabi po sana huwag niyio munang gawin yan kasi baka ho kami ang isusunod.

Isa pong commander ng isang another major gang sa Bilibid yung sinubject nila to psychological torture, yung binanggit ko po dun sa privilege speech ko. Na kinuha siya isang Sabado ng umaga, linabas siya ng SAF, at dinala siya sa ISAFP, binalik kinabukasan, Sunday morning. At grabe daw yung histura. Wala naman daw mga pasa-pasa or what, or signs of physical torture. Pero sinabi nga daw po, nakita daw po nila yung histura, na hindi pinatulog, subjected to intense interrogation, subjected to psychological torture.

What was the very objective? Pinipilit po yung gang leader na yan na mag-ano rin, mag-testify against me, katulad din ni Sebastian, katulad din ni Peter Co, Vicente Sy, and Tony Co, ng mga pinipilit din. Hindi ho nila nakukumbinsi pa yung iba. Ito pong messages. You will be given copies of this. Again, this is from A1 source, I can stand by the credibility of my source. I can reveal it later in a proper forum, but I guarantee you the credibility of my source or sources.

September 21 (Exact message po na finorward sa akin ng A1 source ko)

Text ng misis ni JB Sebastian– (Remember, this already after the House inquiry na yung mga sila, kung sino man yun, yung mga ano na yun na lahat nagtuturo kay Jaybee Sebastian) Sir kakausapin ko si jb ngayon para papayagin na magtestify na against de lima. Sya na nadidiin ngayon. Sya susi sa lahat. Labag man sa kalooban ko pero sa tingin ng mas nakararami ito ang tamang paraan. Ipapasantabi ko na lang sa kanya galit nya saka na lang hugutin pag ok na lahat.

Pati po personal na buhay namin sigurado apektado, lumalalim po ang imbestigasyon. Si de lima lang naman kailangan nila. Alam ko mapapatawad kami ng mga anak ko at ng mga naniniwala sa kanya kung sakaling magdesisyon kami ng salungat sa prinsipyo namin. Sorry po.

(That’s September 21. And then, on September 22, text ito sa akin ng source ko, yung the same source na nag-foward ng message na yun, yung text na yun ng misis ni Sebastian.) September 22 Matigas jb ayaw mag lie vs de5. (De5, that must be me.) They have to do something soonest to provide protection

(On the same day, September 22, from my same source.)

September 22 Jb and wife business and bank accts threatened. Negos underway. was advised to cooperate with lawyer assistance.

(So these are the text messages on September 22 regarding Jaybee Sebastian. Also on September 22, meron pa rin hong finorward sa akin, o merong nag…yes, finorward po itong text na ito sa akin. Ito naman ay tungkol sa datin kong PSG guard na si Joenel Sanchez. Ito naman po ang message na finorward sa akin ng A1 source ko:)

September 22

A friend and former NBI is the Godfather of PSG Joenel Sanchez being implicated as the bagman of Delima. He is being forced to sign affidavit but he said he is innocent and has never met Colango. He and his wife, who is also a PSG, are now held in the HQ. Ask sana help and advise if a friendly lawyer can assist or take care of them.

DE LIMA: These are the text messages. These are samples of the things being done to be able to convince certain so-called witnesses to testify against me. This is the length, this is the extent, this is the magnitude. Hindi pa nga ho kumpleto ito kasi hindi pa ho puwedeng ibulgar yung iba pa na mga impormasyon ko kasi hindi pa nga pumapayag yung mga sources ng information ko.

And now we have this incident kanina. And now, we just saw a news item quoting Speaker Alvarez saying somebody must be out to silence Sebastian. Ano na naman mga implication nila? Kagagawan ko na naman yan? Sila ang nanggigipit sa akin. Masyado na nila akong ginigipit, inaapi. Tapos ganyan pa ang gagawin nila? Lahat na lang sinisisi sa akin. And they call themselves men? Ganyan ba mga lalaki? They’re cowards, they’re false, and they’re liars! That is the bunch of officials that we have now.

Yan, yang mga istorya na yan. I just saw yung mga ano rin, mga feed, saan yung kanina, ano na naman ito. ‘Peter Co, Tony Co and Vicente Sy were reportedly using shabu inside the cell of Peter Co. Inmate Edgar Cinco witnessed the three using drugs and reported them to Dongail.’ Clarence Dongail, isa rin po yan sa Bilibid 19, another inmate who is a police major. ‘Dongail told them to stop and warned them of the consequences.’

Sobra naman ang pagtingin sa atin. Napakatanga naman natin na maniniwala tayo sa mga ganyang istorya. Building 14 is supposed to be the most guarded facility now! Nandiyan ang mga SAF. Tapos gagawan ng istoryang ganyan, na nagsha-shabu kaya nagka-riot!

Tama na po. In your desperation, Pangulo, para siraan niyo ako. Hindi niyo na iniisip kung ano na ang nagiging histura niyo sa mata ng bayan at saka sa mundo! Kayo na ho ang pinagtatawanan, hindi po ako. Inosente po ako! Tama na, nagkakamali na kayo eh! Iba-iba na yung mga version niyo! Iba-iba na yung mga istorya niyo! Kung ano-anong mga iniimbento niyo, katulad nung kahapon! Ano na namang P300 million na yan?

Tama na po. Sino na ang isusunod nilang gigipitin? Sino na ang susunod nilang gagawan ng kuwento? Sinong mga buhay ang sisirain nila? Sino yung mga ano…privacy na mga sisiraan? Mga former staff ko, mga former officials ko, inalapitan niyo na po lahat. Alam ko po yun. Nakakrating po sa kanila ang mga sumbong nila sa akin! And I feel so helpless! I cannot even help them with lawyers! Dahil kung papadalhan ko sila ng lawyers, sasabihin nila, ‘Ayan, kasi poprotektahan para hindi siya i-ano.’

So what am I supposed to do now? Tell me! I’m not going to leave this country and escape anything because there is nothing to escape from! May mga nag-a-advise na sa akin na mga well-meaning friends, ‘Mag-isip-isip ka na, Leila, kasi kaka-announce din yan ng Pangulo na ikukulong ka na daw talaga. Maghanap ka na ng asylum.’ Why should I do that? I want to fight here in my country! Hindi po ako duwag! Dahil wala po akong kasalanan. Yung mga nagtatago lamang at saka yung mga walang ano…mga duwag ang umaatras, hindi po si Leila de Lima. Hindi po ako pinalaki ng tatay ko na maging duwag. Tama na.

Hulihin niyo na ako ngayon! Yun naman talaga ang gusto niyo! Ikulong niyo na ako ngayon! I’m here! Do what you want to me, Mr. President. I’ll wait for you. Thank you.

Q: Ma’am, with all that’s happening now, you think there’s a direct threat to your life, I mean, not just your safety?

DE LIMA: Matagal na ho. Matagal na hong may serious threat sa akin, pero pinagsasantabi ko lang po yun. Ang attitude ko lang po…ang attitude ko naman pagdating sa bagay na yan noon pa, maski noon na merong mga threat…yun, nung pinalipat ko mga yan, may mga threat ako galing sa kanila. Ilan-ilan sa kanila, hindi naman lahat sila. But, ang attitude ko, kapag oras mo na, oras mo na. Kahit ano pa bang sankaterbang security, kung talagang oras mo na, oras mo na.

Q: Ma’am, just a follow up…I don’t mean to be graphic on your theory, so there was no riot, so just somebody came and stabbed him, something like that?

DE LIMA: I cannot of course say conclusively what exactly happened. But hindi ko po pinapaniwalaan yung version nila ngayon na riot.

Why do I say this? Meron din po akong naging report noon. Remember, may sinabi sila sometime in August na biglang parang may nag-surprise inspection sa Building 14. At meron pa rin daw mga nakuha na ilan-ilan na mga kontrabando doon daw kay Peter Co. Ayaw ko pa nga sana itong ipalabas, but again, my source is A1. I cannot disclose who he is right now. But again, he’s A1.

Yung mismong guwardiya na yun ang supposedly nag-report per their official report, na parang yun pa ang naging official complainant, I think, diyan sa mga ano na yan, na may mga nakuha na naman na kontrabando from one of the inmates, yung guard na yan, hindi niya inaamin yan. Yung guard na yan, sinabi, ‘Basta pinapirma na lang ako diyan, ako pinalabas na nakadiskubre nung so-called contrabands na yun.’ So mga pinipilit na mga…nagpaplanta na sila ng mga ebidensiya.

Yan, yang katulad ng ano na yan, yung kung totoo lang na riot talaga yan, kagagawan yan mismo nila Sebastian. Hindi yan nalalayo sa mga official version nila na mga nang-agaw, nanlaban. This is really madness. Nakikiusap talaga ako sa Pangulo, kina Aguirre, huminto na po kayo diyan sa madness.

Itong ginagawa sa akin, hindi naman ito dapat kasama diyan sa giyera laban sa droga. Itong mala-giyera na rin na ginagawa nila sa akin ay dahil lamang sa isang matinding galit ng isang tao, na Pangulo na ho natin ngayon.

Ang analysis ko po diyan, kaya nakukuryente na rin siya, kaya nga ho, ayan, yang example na yan sa drug matrix na yan. I had to…nilunok niya ngayon, in a very rare moment na nilulunok niya ang kanyang pride na mag-apologize dun sa mga dinawit niya diyan. Ang nangyayari po, this is my analysis, you may or may not agree with me, but I’ve been thinking about this sa mga nangyayari ngayon.

There are forces, elements, personalities surrounding the President na alam talaga kasi nila kung gaano kagalit sa akin ang Pangulo, gawa nung 2009 nga, tungkol sa DDS inquiry. So itong mga ibang puwersa na ito, mga personalidad, mga shady characters na umaaligid-aligid diyan ngayon sa Pangulo–yung iba diyan nakikita niyo diyan sa House inquiry–ay they are taking advantage, they are capitalizing on the personal vendetta on the part of the President.

Ginagatungan nila, dinadagdagan nila, sinusuplyan nila ng mga mali na impormasyon, ng mga lies. Kaya lumaki na nang lumaki yung istorya. All of a sudden I’m the Bilibid Drug Queen because diyan sa mga factory of lies na pini-feed ng mga personalidad na yan na may mga kanya-kanyang agenda–either galit talaga sa akin, they have an axe to grind also, dahil kinasuhan ko rin sila, pinakulong ko rin sila, o kaya kung ano man na mga iba pang mga agenda. Naiipit sila at yun ang pinapagawa sa kanila. ‘Hindi ka namin kakasuhan basta ipitin mo, ituro mo si De Lima, libre ka na. Ito ang immunity.’ Yan po ang analysis ko.

Kaya sino ang pinakakawawa dito? Ang Pangulo. Pero siyempre, ang mas kawawa ang bayan dahil naapektuhan na nang husto, pinagtatawanan tayo ng international community. Tignan niyo, nagkakaroon na ng impact sa economy. Ako na naman ang sisisihin diyan by you-know-who.

Q: Senator, paano makakaapekto yung apology ni President sa proving your innocence yung kay Espino po, yung kanyang…?

DE LIMA: Na imbento nga lahat yan. Imbento yan. Lahat nga, halos lahat yan, lahat, imbento. Imbento yang drug matrix na yan, na para bang Pangasinan mafia. Imbento na naman lahat ito, na ako ang nag-benefit ng lahat, ako ang binigyan ng pera through Sebastian, nangolekta, etcetera, etcetera. Tinago ko yung the rest of the P300 million na nakupkop daw, nakuha daw nung raid. And all those other lies. Yan ang nangyayari eh. Ang bilis maniwala ng Pangulo, o kaya gusto niyang maniwala o kaya sadya na yung ibang mga lies na yan galing sa kanila mismo.

Q: Ma’am, these drug convicts have an axe to grind against you because of the raid you did.

DE LIMA: Definitely.

Q: Yes, ma’am. What is their reason…what is your analysis why are they still refusing to testify against you?

DE LIMA: Maybe, kahit mga drug convicts yan, marunong pa rin naman makonsensiya siguro. I don’t know. You can ask them. Kasi ngang ayaw ngang humarap, ayaw ngang mag-testify, ayaw ngang mag-execute ng sinumpaang salaysay katulad ng iba.

Q: Follow up lang, on your source…

DE LIMA: And meron pa ako, meron pa ako from another A1 source na allegedly, meron din yan mga listahan kung sino yung mga tunay na nagbe-benefit from them ang kung sino yung tunay na mga drug lords din.

Q: Follow up, ma’am. On your source…

DE LIMA: That’s A1.

Q: On your A1 source, ma’am, just to establish the credibility, what is in his interest, why is he giving you the information?

DE LIMA: Pardon.

Q: Why is he giving you this information?

DE LIMA: The A1 source? He cares for me, I think. He’s concerned for me, as so many others. And he just happens to have an access sa mga yan. Iba-iba naman ito, hindi lang ito isa. Pero yung tungkol dun sa mga text ng misis ni Sebastian, isang source ito.

Q: Ma’am, you said earlier na you feel like the entire government machinery is against you. What options do you have now?

DE LIMA: Right now, I have no option. I’m just here. I’m just trying to do my job, even if, of course, I’m so distracted. Nagtatanong mga iba, nakakatulog ka pa ba, nakakakain ka pa ba? Nakakakain pa naman po ako. Nakakatulog pa naman po ako, pero hindi na ho normal. Average na lang po ng 3 to 4 hours. Nakakatulog na lang ako sa sheer exhaustion, mentally, especially. Isip nang isip, isip nang isip. Nakakatulog ako 12 o’clock, 1 o’clock ng umaga. Bigla na naman ako nagigising alas tres, alas kuwatro, at hindi na ako ulit nakakatulog. Isip na naman ako nang isip.

So definitely it has a toll on my health, it has a toll on my very well-being. It has a toll on my family. My family is suffering. Kung alam niyo lang. If you ask me, how do you feel, anong nararamdaman mo? Pakisabi nga ho sa akin how do I feel. Pakisabi nga ho sa akin. Alam niyo ba how do I feel? No one in this room can imagine itong dinadala ko sa loob, na hindi ko alam bakit ako, ako, at ako. Do I deserve this? I certainly do not. Tama na po. Stop it! Stop the madness!

I’ve been telling you kasi, Mr. President, hindi kayo nakikinig eh. Nung sa ano pa lang, sa Kamuning Bakery, I warned him already, ‘Mapapahiya kayo.’ Nag-uumpisa na siyang napapahiya tungkol nga diyan sa drug matrix. Marami pa ho magiging basehan ng kahihiyan niyo dahil I know, malalaman niyo rin yan, na yang mga pini-feed sa inyo, puro ho yan kabalastugan, puro ho yan kasinungalingan. So, siya talaga mapapahiya.

Q: Ma’am, mas gugustuhin niyo ba na humantong na sa korte yung mga isyu against you para mas maidepensa ninyo in the proper venue, to defend yourself?

DE LIMA: Matagal ko nang sinasabi yan, pero again, what would be the whole purpose of filing cases against me? Okay, there’s DOJ, Ombudsman later. Alam ko naman talaga na inosente ako. Mauubos ang oras ko diyan, ang pagod ko.

Wala na akong resources to hire lawyers at this point, although, I am glad there are some who have volunteered already, kung kailangan daw sila, sabihan lang sila.

But I have not really talked to them yet. I have no time to talk to them yet. Wala na po akong ibang gagawin nun kundi harapin na lang yung mga kaso. Ano nang gagawin ko ngayon as a senator? Paano ko na gagawin na yung mandato ko? Trash nga ang mga kaso na iyan. These will all be trumped-up charges because the alleged supporting evidence are all fabricated!

Q: Ma’am, have you asked help from your friends in the former administration…?

DE LIMA: They’re there. They’re there. They’re lending me a huge amount of moral support. Some of them are even asking, ‘Gusto talaga naming tumulong, Sen. Leila, but hindi namin alam kung paano.’ They send messages sa Facebook, Twitter, etcetera. But hindi ko rin kasi alam ang sasabihin ko sa kanila kung tinatanong nila ako, ‘Paano ho ba kami makatulong?’ My only common response is, ipagpatuloy niyo lang po ang pagdadasal. Ipagdasal niyo ako, ipagdasal niyo ang Pangulo na maliwanagan na–how do you say that in Tagalog?–ipagdasal ang bayan.

Q: Ma’am, how do you feel that the President has already apologized to the three personalities in the drug matrix, pero sa inyo po…?

DE LIMA: Dahil nga sa utak niya ho talaga, wala po siyang ibang hangarin–sirain ako, destroy me at all costs. I’m the only agenda. Sabi nga yan sa text ng misis ni Sebastian, ako lang naman daw ang kailangan. So ang pinakapunto, reading between the lines, itong message ng misis ni Jaybee Sebastian, reading between the lines, parang sinasabi niya, ‘Si Sebastian ang iniipit para lang makuha si De Lima.’ Something like, ‘Maiintindihan naman ni De Lima later na ganito ang gagawin mo, na sundin mo na yung pinapagawa sa iyo, ituro mo na si De Lima, kahit hindi totoo.’

Q: Ma’am, it’s just less than a hundred days into the administration, and this has already happened to you. So, there’s six more years, I mean less than six more years. But ano po yung…how prepared are you to face the coming days, weeks, and months?

DE LIMA: If you’re asking how prepared I am, I’m never prepared for this magnitude. Many of you, I think have covered my stint, or some of you have covered my stint at the CHR and DOJ in the national scene. And alam niyo naman na ilang mga pagsubok na, ilan na hong mga high-profile cases naman ang mga…I was there, I was right at the center.

Pero ngayon lang ho ganito. This is the worst challenge. Sa sobrang sheer brazenness, it’s almost surreal, it’s unimaginable, it’s unprecedented na ginagawa ng isang sitting Pangulo ang pinagagagawa nila ngayon against a sitting senator because of personal vendetta and whatever hidden motives he has. Tapos ginagamit as pawns, as tools, as instruments, mga the likes of Aguirre and all other operators to further the President’s evil design.

Q: Ma’am, bakit ba talaga hindi sinama sa Bilibid 19 si Jaybee Sebastian?

DE LIMA: Nabanggit naman po yan. Ang puwede ho talagang makakapagsabi niyan ay sila Gen. Villasanta at Dir. Bucayo kasi sila yung nasa sentro ng intel gathering noon.

They presented to me na hindi daw puwede ilipat si Sebastian kasi asset siya o isa siya sa mga asset, meaning, yung ibang mga impormasyon na kinakalap nila o kinalap nila noon nung nag-decide na kaming mag-raid, ay galing daw po kay Sebastian.

Nililinaw ko po ha na hindi po siya personal asset ko bilang Secretary of Justice because I’m not into the business of having intelligence assets. Because I’m not into the function of intelligence. But there are certain subordinates and units under the Department of Justice which do intel work so they supply me with intel.

But on my own as a DOJ secretary, I do not have any business handling a particular asset. So he was not my asset, but asset of the government group, yung interagency, particularly, PAOCC, dun sa problema, tungkol sa mga impormasyon na yan, tungkol sa drug trade within Bilibid.

That’s why I’ve been suggesting na sana ipatawag din sina Gen. Villasanta, Gen. Bucayo, and other officials dahil sila naman ang mga mas nakakalaam niyan. Limited lang ang knowledge ko sa mga bagay na yan. But purposely, I’m not accessing any of these former officials para wala hong mga masabi na naman yung mga nag-aakusa sa akin.

Q: Ma’am, given the current setup dun sa Building 14, posible ba talaga yung riot? Aren’t they like separated from each other? May chance ba talaga…?

DE LIMA: Yung pagkakaalala ko sa hitsura ng Building 14, kasi nagkaroon naman ng parang blessing nung natapos na po yung renovation–parang blessing or something–ay may mga kanya-kanyang cells itong mga high-profile convicts na yan. If I’m not mistaken, the capacity was about 42. So that’s why pinadagdagan ko. And ultimately, pinasama ko na po diyan si Sebastian.

Q: Based on your theory, do you fear that more lives will be lost just to pin you down in the Bilibid? De Lima: Do you think that’s an impossibility, because of the sheer obsession? May mga pinipilit na ngang mga ibang ano ko noon eh, ibang subordinates, ibang mga dating staff ko, mga subordinates, nagpapa-ano ng mga kung ano-ano, mga sinasabing bank accounts, na sa akin daw yun.

They won’t stop and that’s why sana makinig na po ang Pangulo. Wag niyo po akong sisihin later na hindi ho kayo nakikinig, tapos all of a sudden it all blows up on your face, Mr. President, na mare-realize niyo rin na mali lahat yan. Hindi totoo lahat yan.

Q: Ma’am, with all these issues controversies, may pagsisisi po ba na tumakbo pa kayo sa pagka-senador, and kamusta ang inyong health condition ngayon?

DE LIMA: Nice question. May nagtanong na rin sa akin yan. Sabi ko nga, on one hand, hindi naman sa nagsisi, para I was just telling myself sana hindi na lang ako nanalo para hindi na ako pinag-initan. Kaya lang naman ako pinag-initan muli, dati nang mainit talaga sa akin, lalong naging mainit nung I initiated the probe, the inquiry into the extrajudicial killings. So on one hand, sana hindi na lang ako nanalo para hindi ako pinagdidiskitahan ngayon. On the other hand, eh trabaho ito, mandato ng bayan na may gagawin akong trabaho.

So ako po, ang attitude ko palagi, kung ano ang tama yun ang ginagawa ko. Basta alam ko na yun ang tamang gawin, ginagawa ko regardless of the consequences. Hindi naman po kasi ako pulitiko. Hindi po ako nag-iisip bilang pulitiko. I never think about my personal interests, let alone any political interests or political agenda.

Kagaya nito, yung pagpalabas ko kay Matobato. Hindi ko naman yan pinaalam sa LP. Hindi ko naman sinabihan yung mga allies ko. Halos wala akong pinagsabihan kung hindi si Sen. Sonny Trillanes. Kasi hindi ako pulitiko.

People are asking me, ‘What is your endgame?’ Because some are questioning, ‘Parang hindi ka yata nag-iisip, Sen. Leila. Wala ka namang kalaban-laban, ngayon ilalabas mo yung ganyang ka-explosive na witness. Sisiraan lang yan, and then hindi naman maniniwala karamihan kasi the President is still so popular. So what exactly do you want to achieve?’

Ang pinakasagot ko na lang, what about the truth? That’s all. What about the truth?

Maraming salamat po. ●