Duterte tells De Lima: Step down 'out of delicadeza'

MANILA, Philippines - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has urged Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to step down over her supposed failure to act against rice smuggling in the country.

Speaking before the media on Wednesday, Duterte expressed frustration over the investigation on smuggling operations and chided the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the slow-moving case, which he perceives as a "criminal negligence."

Video from the Davao City Information Office

"If you are there for a long time and you have not yet solved smuggling until now and yearly we lose 7 million, that is a crime and that is criminal negligence on their part," Duterte said.

"Marunong lang silang magdaldal d'yan, ano'ng silbi nila? How many years have they been there?" he said, referring to his earlier claims that De Lima only speaks for "publicity" on the progress of the probe.

He also asked De Lima to step down from her post as she is not a prosecution lawyer but an elections counsel.

"De Lima has been bypassed for several times. The representatives of the people, which are really the senators and the congressman, do not agree with her appointment. Out of delicadeza umalis ka na d'yan ... Don't you think it is about time to adopt a certain degree of delicadeza by stepping down?" Duterte said

Related: Duterte to De Lima: Stop talking, start working | De Lima: Duterte has a lousy mouth

Duterte also weighed in on the problem of identifying big-time rice smuggler David Tan. De Lima and the National Bureau of Investigation has alleged that businessman Davidson Bangayan is the rice smuggling kingpin.

"It does not matter how many names he uses. What is important is the persona, the physical identity of that person and go ahead and arrest him," Duterte advised.

"Hanggang ngayon still agonizing and they have to wait for the Senate to provide them [with] information. Until now, until now! The figure says about P1.3 trillion and you're still establishing which name for what person," he added.