Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque hit back at Senator Leila de Lima over his and President Rodrigo Duterte's "grossly unchristian" acts of "further demonizing" her.

"We find nothing more unchristian than performing an action which counters the demeanor of a public official which Senator De Lima did when she arrogantly applied selective justice to the political opposition while enjoying her so-called frailties of a woman," Roque said on Thursday in a statement.

De Lima, who has been detained in Camp Crame headquarters for allegedly violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act since February, issued a handwritten note asking Roque to stop from talking about her "true character."

"Mr. Harry Roque, do you really know me? No, you don't. So if you can please find it in your heart to cease and desist from babbling about my 'true character'," De Lima said in her note on November 30 posted on Facebook.

"I hope that you and your principal refrain from further demonizing me. Stop your pettiness too. Both of you. Grossly unchristian!," she said.

Roque said the public does not need to know the true nature or character of the person to establish what she is capable of doing.

"We just have to look at Senator Leila de Lima's drug cases wich were based on the testimonies of credible witnesses and documentary evidence. The gravity of the accusations hurled against her runs contrary to the incorruptible character she falsely portrayed when she was DOJ (Department of Justice) Secretary," he said.

De Lima was arrested on February 24 for allegedly receiving money from drug dealers inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary during the previous administration.

Among the pieces of evidence used by the Department of Justice under the present administration against De Lima were testimonies and affidavits of convicted drug lords and murderers.

De Lima has denied the allegations, saying she is being politically persecuted.

The lady senator is a staunch critic of Duterte even when he was still a mayor of Davao City for his alleged human rights violations. Celerina Monte/DMS