Duterte calls Binay ‘berdugo ng pera ng Makati’

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday turned the tables on Vice President Jejomar Binay after the opposition presidential candidate and former Makati City mayor called him a berdugo or an executioner.

In the middle of a campaign sortie, Duterte said Binay was the berdugo of Makati City's public funds, indicating the oft-repeated allegations of corruption against the Vice President.

"Pambansang berdugo ako sa mga kriminal. Si Binay pambansang berduo sa pera ng Makati," Duterte said.

Asked for comment at his own campaign activity, Binay said, "Bagong tagalog yata yun."

"Yung berdugo ay pumapatay ng tao, wala hong berdugo sa Makati na nagnanakaw. Patawarin na lang natin, ganun talaga managalog yun," Binay said of Duterte.

In a statement over the weekend, Binay hit Duterte for his inconsistency and noted how he has publicly admitted to killing people in earlier interviews.

Binay criticized Duterte earlier for his alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings in Davao City.

Duterte countered that he went after criminals in the course of law enforcement and not through extra-judicial killings.

"Mayor Duterte palaging pinagyayabang mo na marami kang pinatay, ngayon ito ay tinatanggi mo," said the former Makati mayor. "Make up your mind, berdugong mamamatay tao."

"The presidency is not for the unprincipled and the inconsistent. It is not for liars, braggarts, and most especially merciless killers," he added.

Binay has repeatedly denied the corruption charges against him, saying these are all part of a vilification campaign against him. —NB, GMA News