Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte (SEN. BONG GO FACEBOOK PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Rep. France Castro of the ACT Teachers party-list said that the Makabayan bloc is contemplating the filing of a grave threat complaint against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
This is after he threatened Castro’s life in relation to her opposition to Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Durterte’s request for confidential funds.
During a press conference on Sunday, Castro mentioned that her lawyer is currently in the process of determining the appropriate case to file against the former president.
“Sa initial, sinasabi nila ‘yung grave threat [ang i-file] dahil ito ay direkta nang banta sa buhay ko [at] sa aking pamilya, at tingin ko sa lahat din ng mga against sa confidential funds o sa maling paggamit ng confidential funds and intelligence funds,” she said.
(Initially, they say [to file] grave threat because it is a direct threat to my life [and] my family, and I think also to all those against confidential funds or the misuse of confidential funds and intelligence funds.)
Duterte said he told his daughter that the “first target of (her) intelligence (sic) fund” should be “you, France, I want to kill all you communists,” he said forcefully in Filipino.
The former president made the remarks in an interview on his TV show on SMNI television network. The YouTube recording of the show is no longer available.
“Pinag-aaralan din namin ‘yung House resolution para i-revoke ‘yung franchise nitong SMNI dahil hindi lang ito ‘yung una nilang ginagawa. Itong ‘yung pinaka-worst na in-air,” Castro said.
(We are also studying the House resolution to revoke the franchise of this SMNI because this is not the first thing they are doing. This is the worst thing the network aired.)
Meanwhile, in a statement on Saturday, House parties leaders also condemned Duterte’s threat against Castro. They called on the former president to refrain from making threats or insinuating harm against any member of Congress or the institution itself.
“We call upon the former President and all parties involved to avoid making threats or insinuating harm against any member of the House or the institution itself,” they said.
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