Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno has responded on President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against him.
Diokno refuted claims that he was encouraging people to violate the law. He insisted that he was just helping those who needed legal assistance in the time of COVID-19 crisis.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Diokno said that the President should channel all his energies in addressing the crisis.
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“As a private citizen, I’ve been trying to do what I can, given the limitations of the quarantine, and I am trying to express what I believe should be said and put out in the open. Yun lang naman ang ginagawa ko kaya hindi ko ma-get bakit ganoon katindi ang galit ni Pangulo sa akin,” he said.
The lawyer said that now is not the time to point fingers and be angry with one another.
“It’s not the time to point fingers, be angry. Sayang yung resources, sayang yung panahon ni Pangulo kung ‘yan yung gagawin niya,” he added.
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This, after President Duterte launched tirades at Diokno during a public statement.
“Alam mo Chel Diokno, bilib ako sa tatay mo. Pero noong ikaw nakita ko… Alam mo kung bakit hindi ka nanalo? Kasi ang laki ng ngipin mo,” Duterte said on Friday.
The lawyer said instead of making insults, the President should announce his solutions in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sana naman bigyang pansin ng Pangulo ang mga problema ng bayan ngayon. Hindi ito panahon na manlait siya ng sinuman, panahon ito para ma-address yung mga problema ng pagkain, yung problema ng frontliners, yung kalusugan ng ating mga kapatid, lalung-lalo na yung nasa laylayan ng ating lipunan,” he said.
