MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said former president Rodrigo Duterte’s recent remark about killing 15 senators was just “part of political propaganda.”
According to NBI director Jaime Santiago, the former president’s statement, which was made during a political rally last week, was just his way of boosting his candidates for the upcoming senatorial elections.
“I can tell you this is just part of their political propaganda,” Santiago said. “We don’t know who the 15 senators will be or if they’re sitting senators, or whether they are candidates for senator.”
During the PDP-Laban’s proclamation rally last week, Duterte remarked about killing 15 senators so that candidates he endorsed could have seats.
Some members of the House of Representatives are urging the NBI to probe Duterte, just like what they did to Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio when she threatened to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Santiago, however, said that former President Duterte’s remarks were way different compared to the threats made by Duterte-Carpio in a press conference.
“They’re very different. The joke of President Duterte was delivered in a political rally, as for the Vice President Sara’s delivery, she called the presscon and she said who should be killed,” Santiago said.
“Contrary to what President Duterte has declared, there are many people who just joked, it’s part of the rhetoric of political speech,” he added./PN
