De Lima's Unfinished Boxing Match

De Lima’s Unfinished Boxing Match

I truly admire Department of Justice Secretary Laila De Lima for the fights she has been involved in. She has my vote for being an exemplary hero and tough mama, even defying the highest court in the country, all in the need to pursue national interest!

De Lima said she had reason to be optimistic.

“The fight is not yet finished; the boxing bout is not yet over. We’re still being given time to file a memorandum where we will further expand, articulate our position on why we insisted on keeping Arroyo in the country and defying the TRO issued by the Supreme Court. Of course, we’ll do our best to present convincing arguments,” she said.


De Lima said the executive branch would try its best to convince the high court that scrapping the DOJ’s power to issue watch-list and hold-departure orders would affect the state’s exercise of its police powers.

“Our target is that the Supreme Court may understand the possible consequences if they remove from the DOJ the power to issue these orders when necessary. I think we cannot be accused of abuse whenever we issue these orders because we don’t issue them all the time. We take into account all circumstances on a case-by-case basis. There might be a mistake sometimes, but I don’t think it’s an abuse of authority,” she said.

De Lima also said she believed that ordinary Filipinos would back the executive branch’s position: “I think the people understand it. If this power is removed from the DOJ, what will happen to high-profile cases? If the suspects sense that cases would be filed against them, they can always escape.”

She said the Philippines’ “history and records of the justice system” had been “very dismal” because of such escapes. “We have so many examples of fugitives from justice who, up to now, cannot be found,” she said.

It seems we would be expecting more “boxing matches” between the SC and the DOJ, and apparently, we also won’t be seeing any end to this bouts until the SC could once again regain its honor and credibility by declaring rulings and orders which would be favored by the majority.

Laila De Lima showed us that she could not be easily moved by fear of disbarment or contempt of court. She is truly a fighter, the better boxer, and the people’s champ!

Mabuhay si Laila De Lima !