SolGen repeats: De Lima is Public Enemy No. 1

MANILA, Philippines –  Solicitor General Jose Calida on Thursday called Sen. Leila De Lima, whom the government has accused of having drug ties but has not charged, Public Enemy Number One anew.

Calida, who is the government's chief lawyer but not a prosecutor,  was enumerating the cases handled by the Office of the Solicitor General and his stand on those cases including that of late President Ferdinand Marcos’s burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, when he referred to the senator as the country's top enemy.

He described De Lima's filing of a petition for writ of habeas data against President Rodrigo Duterte as a “test case.”

“There’s another interesting case concerning Public Enemy Number One. And I’m referring to Senator Leila de Lima versus Rodrigo Roa Duterte in the case for the issuance of a writ of habeas data. Again, I cannot yet argue the merits because this is still sub judice," Calida said in a televised press briefing in Malacañang.

The writ of habeas data is petition sought by persons whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security has been violated or threatened by an unlawful act of a public official or employee.

"Can a sitting president wage a personal vendetta against petitioner and use the resources of his powerful office to crucify her as a woman, a human being, and a duly elected senator in violation of her right to privacy in life, liberty and security?" De Lima's petition, which she filed in November, read.

Calida said De Lima is an enemy of the country because she is allegedly “using her power to suppress investigation” in her alleged involvement in the proliferation of drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when she was still Justice secretary.

Last December, Calida and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption also called De Lima “public enemy number one” and “patron saint of narco politics.”

Due to this De Lima early January said she is consdiering filing a writ of amparo petition against Duterte, Calida, the VACC and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for allegedly encouraging people to form a group against her.

The Supreme Court said writ of amparo is the remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity.

“Si Aguirre, si Calida, sila VACC, na sila yung nagre-raise funds daw and nage-encourage sa mga ibang tao na sumama sa kanila and form a group against me because I’m supposed to be the Public Enemy No. 1,” De Lima said in an ambush interview on January 10.

De Lima said the petition will protect her right to life and security under the Constitution, citing threats directed to her.

“The respondents will be asked to respond, to comment, and to deny if they want to na there is such a threat sa akin because of their various statements. Kasama na yung fairly recent statement din ni Calida about being Public Enemy Number 1,” she added.

“Di ba yan yung mga terorista, yun ang mga big-time. So, natalo ko na sila lahat. Ako na. So I’m fair game. Yung mga vigilantes, they can always target me because I’m supposed to be the Public Enemy Number 1. So the threat against my life and security is really serious. So that’s the only remedy I’m thinking of at this point,” she said.

Public Enemy No. 1 was used in the United States in the 1930s to describe gangsters and criminals like Chicago mobster Al Capone and bank robber John Dillinger.

While De Lima was Justice secretary, the Aquino administration released a list of "Big Five" fugitives: Retired general Jovito Palparan Jr. (kidnapping and serious illegal detention), Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee (syndicated estafa), former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes (murder of broadcaster Gerry Ortega) and former Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. (convicted of parricide).