Pranksters, Duterte foes may be behind death threat vs priests - Palace

Recent death threats against some members of the clergy may be the handiwork of pranksters or President Rodrigo Duterte's enemies, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, a critic of the government's anti-narcotics drive, said he has been receiving death threats from unknown people since earlier this month.

"Iyung mga death threats na iyan can be real, can be also done by pranksters or by the personal enemies of those receiving the threats, or iyung mga kalaban ni President Duterte who are doing that to put him in a bad light," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

(Those death threats can be real, can be also done by pranksters or by the personal enemies of those receiving the threats, or the enemies of President Duterte who are doing that to put him in a bad light.)

"Kung you just receive it on the phone, ang dali-daling magpadala ng threat sa telepono e. Alam n'yo, kung talagang papatayin ang isang tao, hindi na kailangan ng banta -- papatayin ka na lang n'yan," he added.

(If you just received it on the phone, it is very easy to send threats through the phone. You know, if a person will really be killed, a threat is unnecessary -- you will just be killed.)

ANC, 5 March 2019