Duterte ‘no show’ in grave threats probe | ABS-CBN

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Duterte ‘no show’ in grave threats probe

Duterte ‘no show’ in grave threats probe

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

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Then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joins other leaders from Asia and European countries in the virtual 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit at the Malacañang Palace on Nov. 26, 2021. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File 
Then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joins other leaders from Asia and European countries in the virtual 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit at the Malacañang Palace on Nov. 26, 2021. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File

MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday skipped the first day of the probe of the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office in the grave threats complaint filed against him by ACT Teachers party-List Rep. France Castro.

Instead, Duterte was represented by 2 female lawyers from the law firm of former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

The 2 lawyers did not face the media for an interview.

Instead, it was Castro who explained to the media why Duterte was a no-show.

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“Nandoon yung dalawang counsel ni ex-President Duterte at sinabi nila, ina-allege nila, wala pa daw natanggap si ex-President Duterte na subpoena at saka yung aking complaint,” she said.

“Ngayon tinanggap ng dalawang counsel yung complaint-affidavit ko tsaka yung supplemental complaint-affidavit ko for today, kasama na rin yung pagsa-submit nila ng entry of appearance,” she added.

Castro filed a supplement complaint-affidavit alleging that Duterte again threatened her life on his TV program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” which aired on SMNI on November 16.

“Do not think, France na you have already—na may armor ka na dahil congresswoman ka, member ka ng Congress, na hindi ka na—na you are no longer—na hindi ka na vulnerable sa galit ng—karami namatay dyan na...pati pulis dahil sa inyo,” Duterte was quoted as saying.

“Kaya ikaw France, how do you solve the problem now? Kaya yun statement ko yun komunista dapat patayin, kasali ka, dapat!” he continued.

According to Castro, Duterte’s remarks “threatened to inflict a wrong amounting to a crime” upon her person and honor, “uttering threats of murdering or death of Complainant.”

“It is not necessary that the Complainant herself actually feels intimidated or actually takes the words seriously, although in fact she was indeed intimidated as set forth in her Complaint-Affidavit,” Castro’s supplemental complaint-affidavit said.

In her original complaint-affidavit, Castro claimed Duterte threatened her life with his statements in an October 11 episode of his TV program Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa on the SMNI News Channel.

In that episode, Duterte shared his advice to his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, on how to use her confidential and intelligence funds.

“Pero ang una mong target d’yan [sa] intelligence fund mo, kayo, ikaw France, kayong mga Komunista ang gusto kong patayin,” he said.

While the statement only mentioned “France,” Castro said the former president’s remarks were made in reaction to her scrutiny of the confidential funds of the Vice President that led to the realignment of P650 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds in the 2024 budget.

Castro and 2 other Makabayan bloc representatives have been critical of Vice President Duterte’s confidential and intelligence funds.

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