Grief and rage

Solita Monsod’s column “Duterte’s abuse of power” (2/16/19) moved me to tears. After citing a slew of heart-wrenching details showing how Sen. Leila de Lima has been cruelly treated in detention, as if she does not deserve a bit of kindness, Monsod’s column ended in a note of despair.

Reacting to the opinion of former senator Rene Saguisag that the people elected President Duterte as a leader and not a ruler, and that the President himself should understand the difference, Monsod expressed her painful observation that even those in the executive, the judiciary and the legislative, and also “a great number of Filipinos,” do not understand this.

My friends and I share her grief and rage.

MARIANO F. CARPIO, [email protected]