Ron Mia
Senator and presidential aspirant Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the country may not be ready yet for a Rodrigo Duterte presidency.
Speaking at the “Meet The Inquirer Multimedia” on Tuesday, May 3, Defensor-Santiago said she don’t think the Philippines is ready for the presidency of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
She said Duterte’s campaign pronouncements were “ill-reasoned,” but still she hopes the tough-talking mayor will clarify those afterwards.
“I don’t think so. Some of his statements make us doubt of his allegiance to the rule of law,” said Defensor-Santiago.
Duterte’s campaign is anchored on eradicating criminality, promising to fulfill it in six months’ time once elected.
But Defensor-Santiago cautioned that a solution to the country’s problem on criminality should be within the bounds of the law. She added the public must be or should be “legally literate”.
“We have to be legally literate. We have to know what does the law say so we can say whether his actuations are within the law or outside,” said Defensor-Santiago.
“Merong mga [naniniwalang] bayani siya kasi kaagad ay susuntukin niya ung kalaban niya. Alam naman nating mali ‘yon, pero wala tayong legal literacy kasi. Di man lang natin alam anong tinatawag na rule of law, (Some believe he’s a hero because he will immediately punch his opponent. We know that’s wrong, but we don’t have legal literacy. We don’t even know what “rule of law” is),” she said.
“Rule of law means the law applies to everybody whatever his standing in the community. That’s all that it means. We do not have enough respect for the rule of law in his country,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Senator also questioned Duterte’s many bank accounts as revealed by Senator Antonio Trillanes. She wondered what the money in the bank account for since she knew Duterte didn’t use the money to build a lavish house as she frequented his humble abode in Davao City.
READ: Miriam joins call for Duterte to sign waiver
“Why are there so many bank accounts, what did he use them for? He didn’t use them for houses because every time I visit him in Davao his houses are always very humble…
“So there are many unanswered questions with the Duterte candidacy and the nuns have good reasons to fall on their knees,” she explained, referring to the Catholic church’s call for voter discernment.
