MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Human rights lawyer and Otso Diretso senatorial bet Chel Diokno thanked the President for remembering his father, the late democracy icon Sen. Jose 鈥淧epe鈥� W. Diokno.
鈥淎ctually, magpasalamat pa nga ako na nabanggit niya ang aking ama, naalala pa niya ang aking ama. At sana maalala din niya na ang aking ama ang sinasabing, itinuturing na ama ng karapatang pantao sa ating bayan,鈥� Chel said in a statement on Tuesday.
(Actually, I am thankful that he mentioned my father and he remembered him. I hope he also recalls that my father is considered the father of human rights in our country.)
On Monday, the 73-year-old leader mocked Chel鈥檚 manner of speaking, comparing the Otso Diretso candidate to his father.
鈥淟alo na ito si Diokno, 鈥榶ung Diokno 鈥榶ung鈥� Sus magsalita. Kalayo niya sa tatay niya. 鈥榊ung si W. Diokno,鈥� Duterte said. 鈥淭ignan mo magsalita. Wala. Walang ka ano.鈥�
(This Diokno鈥hen he speaks, he is quite far from his father 鈥� W. Diokno. Pay attention to how he talks鈥�)
READ: Duterte mocks opposition slate: 鈥極tso Diretso鈥� to 鈥榟ell鈥�
Chel shrugged off Duterte鈥檚 comments, noting that the President must look into Pepe Diokno鈥檚 advocacy of protecting human rights of all Filipinos.
鈥淭alagang kailangan natin na igalang ang karapatan ng lahat, lalong lalo na ng mga mahihirap. Hindi naman puwedeng sabihin na mura lang ang buhay nila dahil ang buhay ng lahat ng tao ay mahalaga, mayaman man o maliit na tao,鈥� Chel said.
(We need to respect people鈥檚 rights, especially the poor. We cannot say that life is cheap because every life is important, rich or poor.)
鈥淎t dapat isulong mismo ng ating pamahalaan ang paggalang sa dignidad ng tao, pati sa mga kababihan, at paggalang din sa ating lahat ng pangangailangan ng bayan,鈥� he added.
(The government should push respects for the dignity of people, the women especially, as well as respect for the needs of the country.)
Chel鈥檚 father, Pepe Diokno, was among the first to be detained by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos after martial law was declared in 1972. /ee