“Find me a law which says I cannot threaten criminals with death,” dares Duterte
(Eagle News)– President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (July 17) lambasted Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales after she criticized him during an interview with Japan’s NHK World, saying he was “goading people to kill people.”
“Si Ombudsman ba, Conchita Morales blew her top and castigated me publicly for (me) just mentioning killing criminals,” he said during a speech at the mass oath-taking of presidential appointees and officials in Malacanang.
“Since when did you anoint yourself as the spokesman for the criminals?” he asked
The President said Morales does not seem to know the law even if she had reached the Supreme Court.
“Ombudsman Morales, find me a law which says I cannot threaten criminals with death. Find me a law which would bar me from saying ‘I will destroy you if you destroy my country.’ If you can do that I will step down tomorrow,” Duterte said.
“Dumating ka pa ng Supreme Court hindi mo alam iyan. Mahiya ka sa sarili mo,” he said as he stressed that there is no law barring him from threatening to kill criminals.
“Ayusin mo iyang Ombudsman mo. Akala mo santo kayo diyan,” Duterte said again addressing himself to Morales.
The President said he was still trying to control himself before, regarding criticizing the Ombudsman in consideration of her ties with his son-in-law, Mans Carpio, husband of presidential daughter Davao City mayor Sara Duterte Carpio. Morales is Mans Carpio’s aunt.
“Ako, nagpipigil ako kasi your brother is my balae. Buti alam ng tao iyan. Pero kung ganoon ka mag-ano, nakita mo ang sitwasyon, sa Marawi… Hindi mo lang alam ang problema ko. I have lost so many soldiers, police,” Duterte added.
In an interview with Japan’s NHK World on Thursday night, Morales said the repeated calls of Duterte to kill drug personalities is not acceptable since her office is also investigating alleged extrajudicial killings.
“He’s goading people to kill people. That’s a problem. His communications people say ‘that’s hyperbole’,” said Morales during the interview.
Duterte said that his threat was to “kill criminals” and there was no law against that.
Duterte has repeatedly justified his war on drugs, stressing to authorities that they should not be afraid to kill suspects who would fight them and endanger their lives.
Morales claimed in a statement that she “is amused by so much ado about something she did NOT say.”
She advised the President to first review what she really said during the interview.
“The president should review what she said first. Beyond this the Ombudsman does not find it necessary to say anything more,” the Ombudsman’s statement added.