House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro on Tuesday filed a complaint for grave threat against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Castro, accompanied by her counsel Tony Laviña and Rico Domingo from Movement Against Disinformation (MAD), filed the complaint with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
“Na-shock talaga ako sa threat sa aking buhay ni former President Duterte. Tingin natin hinggil ito sa pagbusisi natin sa confidential funds na nagbunga ng pagtatanggal ng confidential funds ng iba’t ibang ahensiya,” Castro said.
“He lost his immunity [when his tenure as President ended]. Hindi na siya makakapagtago (he can no longer hide). Dapat matigil na itong gawi ni dating Presidente Duterte. This has to stop,” she added.
Duterte allegedly made the threat during an SMNI interview three weeks ago where he labeled Castro as a communist.
“Kayong mga komunista ang gusto kong patayin (It’s you communists I want to kill),” Duterte had said.
Duterte made the comment in defending the P650-million confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and P150 million to the Department of Education, which are both headed by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, after the House’s decision to realign the P1.23 billion confidential fund under the proposed 2024 national budget.
Castro’s counsel, Laviña, said Duterte’s grave threat made online carries a penalty of six months to six years jail time and a P100,000 fine.
“This is more than the penalty. This is about accountability,” Laviña said.
GMA News Online has reached out to former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s former special assistant, for their comments, but they have yet to respond as of posting time. –-KBK, GMA Integrated News
