Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 23) — ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro is set to file a grave threat complaint on Tuesday against former President Rodrigo Duterte following the statements he made against the lawmaker in relation to the confidential funds requested by his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte.
Castro told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Monday she will be joined by volunteer lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in filing the complaint before a Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
“This is a crime against a person so dapat matigil na itong mga ginagawa ni dating Presidente Duterte, yung mga pagbabanta,” she said. “Yung aking ginagawa ko as congressman para lang busisiin yung mga budget at para gampanan yung aking katungkulan… ay at stake at hindi lang para sakin to, para din sa ating mga kasamang kongresista and also the people.”
[Translation: This is a crime against a person so what former President Duterte is doing, his threats, should stop. What I am doing as a congressman, scrutinizing the budget and to abide by my role is at stake and this not only for me, but also for my fellow congressmen and also the people.]
Duterte in an SMNI interview early this month defended his daughter for requesting confidential funds of ₱500 million for the Office of the Vice President and ₱150 million for the Department of Education. He also said the first target of such funding should be Castro and the rest of the Makabayan bloc.
“Pero, ang una mong target sa intelligence fund mo, kayo, ikaw France, kayong mga komunista ang gusto kong patayin,” he said.
[Translation: But, the first target of your intelligence fund would be you, France, you communists whom I want to kill.]
Castro said this TV interview, along with previous red-tagging and vilification by Duterte against her will be used in the complaint.
The lawmaker said she has also spoken to some House leaders, like Minority leader Marcelino Libanan and some committee chairmen from the majority, to seek their advice and support.
