De Lima pens letter to Duterte, PNP: Stop insulting our intelligence

MANILA, Philippines — Detained Sen. Leila De Lima criticized President Rodrigo Duterte and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for denying that killings of suspected drug offenders were state-sponsored.

In a one-page handwritten letter addressed to Duterte, the PNP and "other presidential defenders," the senator slammed the administration's demand for "solid proof" of state-sponsored killings.

"Stop insulting our intelligence... Stop fooling our people and the rest of the world," De Lima said in her letter.

"As I keep on saying — truth has become the first major casualty in their so-called war on drugs," the senator added.

The letter came a day after New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report on Duterte's drug war.

The international human rights group reported that the police are falsifying evidence to justify unlawful killings in the war on drugs that has resulted to more than 7,000 deaths.

The group also reported that Duterte and his chief subordinates could be held criminally liable for crimes against humanity.

"As president, Duterte has a legal responsibility to publicly direct state security forces to end their campaign of extrajudicial executions of suspected drug dealers and users," the report read.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella was quick to deny the report and insisted that the "war on criminality" was a way to protect humanity.

On the other hand, De Lima remains confident that justice will be served for the victims of the so-called war on drugs.

"In due time your President and those who blindly enforce his illegal orders to kill, fabricate evidence and concoct lies will be held accountable," De Lima said.

De Lima is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame after being arrested for drug charges for her alleged involvement in the proliferation of the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.