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‘THREATS AND BULLYING’

Progressive solons slam Duterte for ‘joke’ about kidnapping, torturing COA personnel


Progressive lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Wednesday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for his supposed joke about kidnapping and torturing Commission on Audit (COA) personnel.

In a statement, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said that the President's statement only enforces the climate of impunity in the country.

"[It] emboldens state forces to further harass and violate the human rights of groups and individuals," Zarate said.

"We are one with the COA personnel in standing up for truth and accountability. We will not allow threats and bullying to sway us from doing what is right," he added.

For his part, Anakpawis party-list Representative Ariel Casilao said Duterte's statement not only invites violence against state auditors but also is contrary to his campaign against corruption.

He pointed out that state auditors are mandated to report irregularities on a particular agency, department or local government unit that violates rules on spending their budget allocations.

“Ironically, like a broken record, President Duterte continues to express his anger against corruption. He sacked some officials but others were just transferred to another especially those who made controversies," Casilao said.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, said that Duterte was obviously joking when he made such statement.

“Masyado namang obvious na nagpapatawa lang 'yun regarding the COA,” Panelo told reporters.

“Iyang si Presidente, pareho lang kami niyan, sutil ang tawag dun... The more you criticize his style the more he will stick to his mischief and irreverence,” he added.

It was not the first time that Duterte made a statement about being violent towards COA employees, earlier saying that the commission's auditors should be pushed down the stairs. — BM, GMA News

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