Sara Duterte's 'drama' a reminder of family's impunity – rights advocates

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte's outrage over her chief of staff's detention shows how the Duterte family continues to behave as if they are above the law, civil society groups said Monday, November 25.

Noting Duterte's reactions over her aide's fate, such as breach of House rules, profanity-laced statements and death threats against the president, human rights advocates said her actions mirror the behavior of her father, Rodrigo Duterte, while president. The elder Duterte's administration was characterized by his late-night tirades and contempt for legal processes.

"It's all about impunity. It's all about hubris. Dahil masyado silang sanay na sila ay nag-hahari-harian (Because they are too used to acting like our overlords)," former Senator Leila de Lima said at the launch of the Duterte Panagutin Network on Monday.

The coalition, made up of lawyers, rights advocates, religious leaders, and families of drug war victims, seeks to extract accountability not just for the drug war killings under Duterte. They also want to root out what they describe as the Dutertes' brand of leadership in Philippine politics.

The timing of the coalition's launch coincides with what its organizers see as "signs of continued impunity from the vice president," who recently defied authorities by interfering with the House's detainment of her chief-of-staff, Zuleika Lopez.

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"I call that pure drama. [Lopez] was just detained for a few days, and [Duterte] is already complaining excessively, making all sorts of scenes," De Lima said in mixed English and Filipino.

"They jailed me for nearly seven years, did you see me throw a fit?" De Lima said.

Teddy Casiño, former congressman and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chairperson, drew a direct connection between the elder Duterte's profanity-laced remarks and his daughter's public meltdown.

"The events of the past week reveal how Sara Duterte acts not just as an entitled brat or a squid but as a carbon copy of her father," the former lawmaker said.

Both De Lima and