For the second time, Rodrigo Duterte, the former president, failed to appear before the preliminary inquiry held on Friday by the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office about a complaint brought up by a member of the House of Representatives against him.
Speaking before Senior Assistant Prosecutor Ulric Badiola, Duterte’s two female attorneys claimed that the former president was unable to attend because Quezon City was “very far” from Davao, where he is currently living.
Rep. France Castro of the ACT Teacher Party list, who filed the accusation of severe threats against the former leader, claimed to have provided a counter-affidavit via his attorneys.
When asked if the office of the prosecutor was prepared to provide a resolution, Castro responded, “They might provide one by January.”
Due to his “continuing grave threats against me,” the father of vice president and education secretary Sara Duterte was the target of a supplemental complaint filed by Castro.
When The Manila Times asked Castro if she had evidence that the former president was pointing at her when he repeatedly mentioned “France,” she replied that she could back up her claims.
“I am very sure that I am the one being threatened by the former president, and we have clearly cited them (proofs) in my complaint,” added the legislator.
Following the former president’s remarks made in October of last year on an SMNI program, Castro accused him of posing serious risks with regard to Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
His remarks, according to the party-list politician, “gravely threatened my life, liberty, and security as well as that of my family.”
In the TV show, Duterte stated, “I told her [the daughter] to be honest. Say that “my target is you communists in Congress, so I will use this intelligence fund for the minds of Filipinos.”
A group affiliated with Castro staged a protest outside the Department of Justice (DoJ) office in the city, claiming that although the former top executive was shielded from prosecution while he was president, he can now face charges for alleged crimes committed in the Philippines as an ordinary citizen.
This publication was able to receive a copy of the counter-affidavit in which Duterte claimed that Castro was the victim of “trivial and measly concerns in order to retaliate” because he was no longer protected from lawsuits.
The counter-affidavit stated that the fundamental rule is that simple accusations are not proof and are not comparable to it.
“I am well aware that before criminal information can be filed against me in court, this Honorable Office must first satisfy itself as to the existence of probable cause or the presence of those facts and circumstances…,” stated the older Duterte.
“I am executing this counter-affidavit to attest to the truth of all statements herein and for the purpose of supporting my prayer for the outright dismissal of the above-captioned case,” he stated.
While they awaited the elder Duterte, some of the former president’s supporters nearly got into a fight with the opposition.
The Duterte supporters made the decision to go as soon as they realized the previous president would not be present, just as members of the Quezon City Police District were ready to divide the two groups.
