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Duterte to Morales: Ayusin mo ‘yang Ombudsman... Mahiya ka sa sarili mo


President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lashed out at Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales after she criticized him for "goading people to kill people" in the course of his campaign against drugs and crime.

Speaking in Malacañang before newly appointed officials, Duterte said he would be willing to step down if Morales could point to a law barring him from threatening criminals.

"Bakit iyang Ombudsman, hindi corrupt? P— ina, tanungin mo kaya iyang lahat na nagkaroon ng kaso diyan… I have dealings with them when I was a prosecutor, my god," Duterte said.

"Ayusin mo iyang Ombudsman mo. Akala mo santo kayo diyan. Do not play god and shut up. Wala ka namang batas, ibigay mo nga sa akin? Eh abugado ka. Anak ng jueteng. Ako, ordinaryo lang, 75. Pero alam ko ang batas ko, eh ikaw dumating ka pa ng Supreme Court, hindi mo pa alam iyan. Mahiya ka sa sarili mo," he added.

He even asked Morales when she started to anoint herself as the spokesperson for the criminals.

"Rendahan mo iyang bunganga mo[kay]may problema, totoo," he addressed the Ombudsman.

"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 said, as he recounted the drug and other security problems of the country.

Duterte's daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio is married to the nephew of the Ombudsman, lawyer Mans Carpio.

The President even said that he would no longer accept criticisms lightly.

"I expect them to criticize me again, but I will not take it sitting down. Noon, sinisikmura ko, kasi presidente nga, you behave. Taguin mo iyong pagkatao mo talaga. But if you do that, you bring the worst in me, bring out the worst in me actually, maski sino. Pin— ina ko nga si Obama, kayo pa," he said.

'Not acceptable'

In an interview with Japan's NHK World, Morales said the repeated public 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," Morales said. "The directive to kill people under any situation irrespective of the context to me, that's not acceptable."

Morales also dismissed the usual defense by Duterte's spokespersons and other administration officials that said Duterte's tough talk are all just "hyperbole."

"His communications people say that's hyperbole. You know, they try to rationalize whatever he says so, whether or not the police or whoever he addresses these words to believe him - that's a different story," she said.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, in response to Morales, said Duterte's remarks were just taken out of context.

Duterte, a former Davao City mayor known for his anti-crime stance, has repeatedly justified his bloody war on drugs, telling law enforcers that they should not be afraid to kill suspects who would fight them.

He also said he will not allow policemen to be jailed for performing their duties. —NB/RSJ/KVD, GMA News

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