ANN/THE STAR – Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte’s remark that 15 senators should be “killed” to make room in the Senate for his party’s candidates was seen as a joke and met with laughter and applause by his supporters but was scorned by critics for being distasteful.
The deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives Tingog Representative Jude Acidre condemned the former president, saying that threats of violence – whether intended as a joke or not – have serious consequences and constitute a crime.
Acidre, who was one of the more than 200 House members who signed the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, said the ex-president’s statement was proof that “they are really like father, like daughter”.
“There’s the daughter who wants the president and the Speaker killed. There’s the father, who wants the senators dead. It’s like they want to hit bingo,” he said.
Duterte was calling out the names of the nine senatorial candidates during a rambling speech at Thursday’s proclamation rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng bayan (PDP-Laban), which he chairs, when the tough-talking former president made the remark as he was introducing Sagip Representative Rodante Marcoleta.
Duterte said that there were “too many” party candidates, which would mean an uphill climb for the aspirants.
“What should we do? Well, let’s kill the senators now to create vacancies,” he said, drawing laughter and cheers from supporters who packed the historic Club Filipino in San Juan City. Several voices from the audience could be heard chanting, “Kill! Kill!”
“If we could kill 15 senators, we can get them all in,” Duterte added, to more applause.
“But that would be a pity. Then again, they’re irritating, not all of them, though,” he said. “Talking of opportunities, maybe the only way to do this is to set off a bomb.”
It’s the typical crude, black humour he used to endear himself to his support base, broadly called DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters).
Seated behind him and smiling while casually chewing gum was PDP-Laban president Senator Robin Padilla.
“We can’t just set that aside because it brings a real threat to security and the government is forced to spend money and mobilise police and military to respond to the threat even if they say it’s just a joke,” Acidre said.
Similar but more serious and angry statements by Duterte’s daughter prompted an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation. The NBI earlier this week found her liable for grave threats and incitement to sedition and recommended charges against her.
Acidre said that the former president’s statements could further strengthen one of the articles of impeachment against the Vice President, which alleged that her remarks in a November 23, 2024, livestreamed press conference undermined governmental stability and eroded public confidence in the executive.
“Their camp seems eager to dig their own grave. Her father’s remarks just add salt to the wounds,” Acidre said.
