Radio anchor gets death threats after criticizing Isabelle Duterte’s Malacañang photo shoot

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said that a radio broadcaster based in Davao City has received a series of death threats after she criticized President Rodrigo Duterte's granddaughter Isabelle's controversial photo shoot in Malacañang.

Kathyrine Cortez, who is the host of the five-minute radio segment "Morning Review" in Davao City-based Radyo ni Juan, said that she received a text message from the number 0946-700-2090 on December 18 at 9:24 a.m. supposedly wanting her to "slow down on her criticisms."

Cortez had supposedly compared the Isabelle's pre-debut photo shoot of Isabelle, which was also criticized by netizens, to the lavish lifestyle of the Marcos family.

LOOK: the series of death threats against Davao City broadcaster, Radyo ni Juan anchor Kath Cortez @DavaoToday pic.twitter.com/NQPeFELKQW

— NUJP (@nujp) December 18, 2017

According to the NUJP, the first message had also branded her as siding with the communists.

"hinay2 lang bata ka pa! Cge ka pa pagda0t sa gbyerno murag ka korek! Undangi na inyong pagdpig sa komunista! (Go slow, you are still young. You keep on criticizing the government as if you are always right. Stop siding with the communists!)," the text message said.

NUJP said that this was followed by another message, warning her that she "might not live long enough to see" the new year.

"[U]ndangi na inyong kabuang, oi! basin di namo maabtan 2018 klaro kaayo mo kumunesta! (Hey, stop with your craziness. You might not live long enough to see 2018 [as] it is clear you are a communist!)," the text message said.

The still unidentified person also sent another message which said: "[I]sang bala para nimu! meri xmas!” (One bullet for you. Merry Christmas!)."

The NUJP said that Cortez has also been "reporting and commenting about human rights violations, continuing harassments on Lumad communities, and the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao."

It added that the incident has been reported to the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Division Office XI in Davao City.

President Rodrigo Duterte has already defended his granddaughter, saying that all visitors in Malacañang take photos of themselves at the Palace.

"'Yung isang anak ko, and lumabas nga doon sa Daily Star na nagpa-picture. Ano ba naman 'yan? Kadugo ko 'yan eh. Small matter, gamitin lang 'yung Malacañang. Wala naman ako doon," Duterte said on Sunday night.

"But even if I was there, itong granddaughter ko magpa-picture, lahat nga ng mga bisita pumupunta diyan, nagpapa-picture eh. You know, that girl, she's going to be 18 years old," he added.

Red-tagging

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Joel Egco, the head of Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), said in a text message to GMA News Online that President Rodrigo Duterte does not condone violence against the media.

"As PRRD said, this government does not condone violence [and] repression of media. We do not play god as to knowing who lives [or] dies, but make no mistake about it that we will run after those who harass, maim or kill or even threaten media workers," he said.

Egco's chief of staff, lawyer Jay de Castro, also said that the PTFoMS has acted on Cortez's case, adding that the threat against the radio broadcaster is considered "red-tagging."

"The action that we did was to write a letter to the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] for verification of the threats made against Kath. Because this case of Kath is actually red-tagging," he said in a phone conversation with GMA News Online.

De Castro also said that PTFoMS has set a meeting with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to address red-tagging before Christmas Day. — with a report by Trisha Macas/MDM/BM, GMA News