Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte (Screengrab from RTVM)
MANILA – The Quezon City Prosecutor's Office has thumbed down the grave threats complaint filed by a lawmaker against former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
In a 14-page resolution, the prosecutors dismissed the complaint filed by ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. and Deputy Minority Leader France L. Castro for statements made by Duterte in his television program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" aired by Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) last October.
"After careful and judicious evaluation of the allegations and evidence obtaining in the complaint, the undersigned finds the same to be insufficient to indict respondent for the crime charged against him," the resolution read.
The resolution was signed by Senior Assistant City Prosecutors Ulric Q. Badiola and Rosanna Morales Montojo, and Deputy City Prosecutor Leilia R. Llanes.
In his television program, Duterte defended his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, from criticisms by opposition parties over the confidential intelligence funds of the Office of the Vice President, and denounced supposed supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army.
In the resolution, the prosecutors said they "find it unusual, if not ridiculous for a person to make public pronouncements of death threats or perpetuate threatening remarks, utterances or statements if he is that serious and deliberate enough in actualizing or effectuating such threats conceived in his mind, especially so considering that such individual , like herein respondent, is already in an advanced age and not anymore immune from criminal prosecution, as he is not anymore the incumbent president of the country."
They also noted that the complainant failed to obtain the necessary authentication from social media platforms and SMNI.
"Absent of any proper authentication, this Office cannot just take on its face value the genuineness and veracity of the subject threatening remarks/utterances / statements allegedly perpetrated by the respondent," they said. (PNA)
