MANILA (UPDATED) - Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday skipped yet again a probe into the grave threats complaint filed by ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

• Duterte ‘no show’ in grave threats probe

Castro told reporters that Duterte’s lawyers submitted his counter-affidavit which he subscribed before a prosecutor in Davao City on December 11.

"Hindi na naman dumating si dating Pangulong Duterte. Meron silang binigay na manifestation narinig ko lang dahil malayo daw 'yung lugar," she said.

In his counter-affidavit, Duterte denies making any declaration of his purpose or intention to inflict injury on Castro, saying that he was merely recounting his conversation with daughter VP Sara Duterte in his first statement while his 2nd statement was only an opinion. pic.twitter.com/wwKBGHh4J7

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) December 15, 2023

In his counter-affidavit, Duterte denied making any declaration of his purpose or intention to inflict injury on Castro, saying that he was merely recounting his conversation with daughter Vice President Sara Duterte in his first statement while his second statement was only an opinion.

“The alleged threatening statements were not even addressed to complainant Castro or to any individual as I was simply reciting the story of my talk with Inday Sara to the program viewers,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the remarks I uttered during the Second Subject Episode cannot also be reasonably interpreted as a ‘communicated intent to inflict physical or other harm’ on complainant Castro’s person. Notably absent in the phrase ‘yun komunista patayin, kasali ka, dapat!’ is any word signifying my personal determination, inclination or capability,” he added.

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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.

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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 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.”

"As expected, sinabi lang niya na wala naman daw siyang intent to threaten kasi daw, kinukwento lang naman niya yung advice niya kay Vice President Sara about ROTC, confidential funds. So yun, therefore, wala naman siyang actually threat kay Congressman France. We, of course, made it very clear that that’s not the case. So we’ll see,” said Castro’s lawyer Tony La Viña.

“Objectively, malinaw naman na nakaapekto yun kay Congressman France, kay Rep. France…And that is enough, I think, for moving the case forward,” he added, explaining that Duterte did not present any evidence or witnesses, choosing to put up a “purely legal defense.”

Castro said the Quezon City prosecutor will issue a resolution on the complaint next month.

"Napakahalaga nito. Siguro biro lang kay dating presidenteng Duterte 'yung sinasabi niyang mga threat, pambabastos sa kababaihan at iba pang ano-anong sinasabi niya - red-tagging at whatever - pero this time, sineseryoso na natin siya. Dapat ang hustisya natin, 'yung justice system natin ay pumabor sa kaso," she said.

Outside the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, supporters of both sides faced off.

WATCH: Confrontation between Duterte supporters and supporters of Rep. France Castro just outside the Quezon City Prosecutors Office, where a preliminary investigation is being conducted on the grave threats complaint filed by Castro vs ex-Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. pic.twitter.com/zBkP67wZWF

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) December 15, 2023

Duterte supporters called Castro supporters “NPA,” “terrorista,” “komunista.”

Castro supporters responded by blowing their whistles and calling Duterte a “terrorist.”

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