Celebrating her birthday in advance on Thursday, Sen. Leila de Lima said she could think of only two birthday wishes鈥攐ne involved President Rodrigo Duterte and the other was a personal one.
De Lima, who will be turning 57 years old on Saturday, said she had asked the President to stop hurling allegations against her, saying it seemed he was 鈥渂ent on destroying her at all cost.鈥�
The senator said instead on focusing on her, the President should prioritize his other tasks.
鈥淢y number one birthday wish, sana po tigilan na ako ng Pangulo. Sana he puts an end to this soon to this madness. Hindi ko po ito hinihingi para sa sarili ko. This is not for my own sake. For the sake of my family, for the sake of the President himself and for the sake of the country kasi ang feeling ko po diyan sa mga sunod-sunod na tirada sa akin, no letup, para bagang wala na siyang ibang ginagawa kundi kumalap ng mga tsismis,鈥� De Lima said in a press conference.
READ: De Lima: I pity Duterte
She said the government鈥檚 drive against illegal drugs had been transformed into a 鈥渨ar versus De Lima.鈥�
鈥淚to na ba ang pinupuntahan ng war on drugs? Parang napupunta na sa war versus De Lima. Of course, it鈥檚 a hyperbolic statement but you cannot blame me for saying that,鈥� the senator said.
Her other wish involves her now controversial love life.
The senator, who has revealed that she is not seeing anyone lately, said she hoped to have someone who could share her burden of being the President鈥檚 favorite whipping boy.
鈥淲ala po akong boyfriend ngayon. Wala po akong love life ngayon. This brings me to my second wish. You may laugh if you want to but my second wish is sana meron akong love life ngayon para meron akong kabalikat at partner na sasamahan ako sa dinadaanan ko,鈥� she said.
READ: 鈥榃arren鈥� part of my security detail鈥揇e Lima
Turning emotional, the senator said she had had to shield her family from all the controversies she had been facing.
鈥淗indi biro itong pinagdaraanan ko eh. I鈥檓 bearing with all of this on my own because as much as possible, I don鈥檛 want to involve my family,鈥� De Lima said.
Duterte had called De Lima an 鈥渋mmoral鈥� woman for her supposed relationship with her former driver, who allegedly collected money for the senator from convicted drug lords at the national penitentiary. rga