Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 17) — Former Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo branded the criminal complaint filed by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro against former President Rodrigo Duterte as just “political propaganda.”
Castro filed a grave threat complaint against Duterte on Oct. 24 over alleged death threats he made on national television.
\”The only reason why that complaint was filed is for political propaganda,\” Panelo told CNN Philippines’ The Final Word on Thursday.
Duterte has been summoned to appear before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office on Dec. 4 and 11.
Panelo, however, said Duterte is \”completely ignoring\” Castro’s complaint.
\”If I were to be the prosecutor, I would outright dismiss [the complaint] because there is absolutely no basis,\” the former chief presidential legal counsel added.
READ: Ex-President Duterte threatens Castro again after court summons
In his interview on Sonshine Media Network International earlier this month, Duterte red-tagged Castro and the rest of the Makabayan bloc. He said the first target of his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte’s proposed secret funds should be Castro.
\”Ikaw France, kayong mga komunista ang gusto kong patayin [You France, you communists, are the ones I want to kill],\” he said.
But Panelo defended Duterte’s statement, calling it a mere \”expression of an idea or a desire.\”
