De Lima's bargain with Duterte: "Mr. President, lock me in jail for as long as you want but please just stop the kilIings.”

Senator Leila De Lima / photo from abs cbn (ctto)

Manila, Philippines – Detained Senator Leila De Lima told Inquirer through activist priest, Father Robert Reyes addressing her family, friends, and colleagues who came to visit her, De Lima said that if she could have the chance to come face-to-face with President Rodrigo Duterte, she would tell him;

“Mr. President, lock me in jail for as long as you want but please just stop the kill*ngs.”

“This was the bargain Senator Leila said she was willing to make with Mr. Duterte,” Reyes said.

Last Sunday, there were over 80 guests attended the senator’s 58^th birthday celebration at the courtyard of her detention cell.

According to Reyes, De Lima was in high spirits and was thankful to God for giving her 58 wonderful years.

“She is enraged by what is happening, especially the drug killings, but she said she would not be consumed by negativism.” He added.

Reyes also relayed that De Lima admitted to her guests that there were still times when she would cry at night and ask herself if all her sufferings were all “worth it” and that she fears people would forget her.

Meanwhile, a political ally of De Lima, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, said that it was obvious at the gathering that everybody who came and calibrated her birthday was still “actively pursuing her case.”

“I told her that this too shall pass and that she has a larger mission ahead of her,” Trillanes said.

Trillanes also shared that the mood during the gathering was “festive” as guests told De Lima of what has been happening.

Reyes mentioned that he concelebrated mass with Pangasinan Archbishop Socrates Villegas and three other priests, namely; Albert Alejo, Hector Canon, and Flavie Villanueva inside the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame.