De Lima: Is the Philippines just like Davao City?

MANILA, Philippines — Detained Sen. Leila de Lima described President Rodrigo Duterte as a "ruthless king" during his term as Davao City mayor following the reported killings of drug suspects in the city.

In a handwritten letter, the senator explained how nothing concrete came out from the 2009 probe of the Commission on Human Rights regarding the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) and the accountability of Duterte.

"The simple answer is — There were no Matobatos and Lascañases back then. And the city of Davao was then and perhaps still is under the spell of their ruthless king," De Lima said.

De Lima added that investigators are being regarded as "enemies" and "intruders" into a kingdom engulfed by a false sense of peace and order.

"I pose the question now — Is the entire country, even after hearing the harrowing testimonies of Matobato and Lascañas, be just like Davao City?" the senator asked.

The detained senator also slammed her colleagues for ridiculing the statements of Matobato and Lascañas, who are both self-confessed members of the DDS.

She said that senators prefer to believe the testimonies of drug convicts, such as Kerwin Espinosa and Ronnie Dayan, even if their statements have "glaring inconsistencies."

"It is tragic that our society's norms of what is right and wrong have been shattered in favor of a reign of lies and deceptions," De Lima said.

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