By Junex Doronio
WHO’S AFRAID OF DIGONG?
Definitely not ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro who filed on Tuesday a criminal complaint against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte over his alleged threats against her life, which were aired on national television and livestreamed online.
“Malubhang pagbabanta ito sa aking buhay dahil nagkaroon din naman ito ng epekto lalo na sa panahong ako ay kasalukuyang nagdadalamhati sa pagkamatay ng aking tatay, doon pa nya talaga pinagbantaan ang aking buhay,” Castro told reporters after the filing of the criminal complaint against the feisty ex-Chief Executive.
She was accompanied by current and former Makabayan bloc representatives and her lawyers from the Movement Against Disinformation (MAD) when Castro filed a grave threats complaint against the former president at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
It was the first known criminal rap filed against Duterte since he stepped down from office.
Castro apparently caught the ire of FPRRD when she questioned the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on its P125 million confidential funds that were only spent in 11 days in 2022.
Last October 10, FPRRD defended his daughter, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, over the use of confidential funds in both the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) justifying that it would be used for the creation of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.
“Pero ang unang target sa intelligence fund mo, kayo! Ikaw France, kayong mga komunista ang gusto kong patayin. Sabihin mo na sa kanya,” the elder Duterte said, referring to the ACT Teachers party-list lawmaker.
Castro claimed she was at her father’s wake when she heard Duterte’s remarks.
“Talagang na-shock po ako doon sa ginawang threat ni dating Presidente Rodrigo Duterte sa aking buhay… Talagang masakit. Parang dobleng sakit ang naramdaman ko noong panahon na ‘yon na naka-receive pa ako ng pagbabanta sa aking buhay,” she said.
(ai/mnm)
