By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Monday filed complaints of inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances against former President Rodrigo Duterte over his remarks to kill senators.
CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said the former president’s remarks should not be taken lightly, hence the cases filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“He encouraged killings. Ano nangyari? Ang daming pupunta ngayon sa Kongreso na mga pamilya na humihingi ng hustisya. Ngayon, pag tinanong siya, did you order the killings, ide-deny niya naman (What happened? A lot of families went to Congress to seek justice. Now, if he is asked, ‘Did you order the killings?’. He will deny it),” Torre told reporters.
Torre said if the Senate of the Philippines building is attacked or if some senators are killed or assassinated, Duterte cannot just say he did not order it and that it was just a figure of speech.
“That is unacceptable,” he said.
The former president previously uttered about killing 15 senators to create vacancies for the candidates he is endorsing.
“So, i-formalize natin. File natin ang kaso at tingnan natin ang kanya sagot sa kasong isinampang sa kanya (Let’s formalize it. Let’s file cases and let’s see his response to the charges filed against him),” Torre said.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) may decide on its own whether to look into alleged threats made by Duterte.
“Motu propio (By itself), the NBI can look into that. But tingnan natin (Let’s see). We’ll see. Alam n’yo naman, we’re used to the language of the former president, sanay tayo (We’ll see. We’re used to the language of the president),” Remulla told the media on Monday.
As a matter of policy, he said the DOJ will not react to every statement made by the Dutertes.
‘Hindi naman lahat ng sinasabi n’ya, tatalon tayo (We cant jump at his every word) Pero (But) if the senators themselves complain, then we have reason to act on the matter kasi s’yempre sila ‘yung ano eh, sila ‘yung endangered nung ganoong statement (because of course, they are the ones endangered by such statements),” Remulla said.
“It can possibly have a ripple effect na hindi natin alam (which we do not know),” he added.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago echoed Remulla’s position, saying they are not inclined to conduct an investigation unless the individuals being threatened or alluded to should file a complaint. (PNA)
