MANILA (UPDATE)—President Rodrigo Duterte denied on Monday that China helped him win the presidency in 2016.

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Del Rosario earlier said he believes Duterte's actions "fit into a disturbing pattern of loyalty to a foreign power."

Duterte rejected such an allegation.

“Daldal ka ng daldal diyan, anong China magtulong sakin? Gago ka, saan mo nakuha iyan? Sixteen million, makuha mo ng tulong mula sa ibang bayan? Sixteen million mabili mo? Ang aking majority ay 6 million over, lahat 16 million. Sixteen million voted, 6 million of that if my majority over your friend," the president said during his weekly recorded public address.

(You talk too much. China helped me? Fool, where did you get that? Sixteen million, another country can help you get those votes? Can you buy that many votes?)

Duterte also threatened to press charges against Del Rosario for allegedly ceding control of the Scarborough Shoal to China during his term.

According to Duterte, Del Rosario is guilty of treason, and even questioned the latter's nationality.

"Alam mo ikaw Albert, Alberto, 'pag nasilip ko lang na mayroon ka. . . I will charge you for sa, marami akong idedemanda sa'yo," he said.

"I have not, for the life of me, sued anybody, libel or anything during my 23 years, 4 years as congressman, tapos vice mayor hanggang presidente, pero ikaw ang hahabulin ko kasi ikaw ang nagtransmit ng message."

(You know, Albert, once I discover what you are hiding, I will charge you. I will file many charges against you. I have not sued anybody, but I will go after you because you were the one who transmitted the message.)

"You are, in olden times, kung at war lang tayo sana, you are guilty of treason. Kaya nga pala kasi hindi ka Filipino. Kung saan ka napulot, bakit itsura mo? Hindi ka talaga Filipino sa totoo lang.

(It's maybe because you are not Filipino. Where did you come from? Why do you look like that? You are really not Filipino.)

"I want to see you personally. Where can I meet you? Saan ka ba nagkakape-kape? Ibuhos ko 'yang kape sa mukha mo."

(Where do you go for coffee? I will pour coffee on your face.)

Back in May, Duterte threatened to execute Del Rosario "by hanging" after the former top diplomat urged him to stand up to Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

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Del Rosario earlier said a "most reliable international entity" had informed him that senior Chinese officials were "bragging that they had been able to influence the 2016 Philippine elections so that Duterte would be president."

Del Rosario, a key player in the Philippines' landmark arbitration victory against Beijing's sweeping South China Sea claims, did not elaborate on the source of the information he said he received in early 2019, how it was obtained, or how China might have influenced the election outcome.

Duterte spokesperson Harry Roque, in his regular briefing, described Del Rosario's remarks as "nonsense" and called him a "proven traitor." — With a report from Joyce Balancio, ABS-CBN News; Reuters

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