Duterte to let independent agencies probe son Paolo, Mans Carpio

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he would leave it to independent agencies to look into the accusations against his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and son-in-law, lawyer Manases Carpio.

“Who would believe if I investigate my son and my son-in-law? Ikaw? Can you investigate your mother and father? I leave it to the independent agencies," Duterte  said in his arrival statement after arriving in Davao City from a two-day official visit to Japan.

Duterte even reiterated his statement that he would understand if the police kill his son if he is involved in drugs.

"If they are really guilty, then so be it. ‘Di ba sinabi ko na sa inyo noong mayor ako? Anong order ko sa pulis? 'Barilin ninyo maski anak ko.' At that statement remains. Barilin mo," he said.

"‘Pag naggamit ng droga o nakahawak ng droga, barilin mo. Extrajudicial killing, if you want. And I can understand," he added.

The statement was a response to detained Senator Leila de Lima, who urged Duterte to go after drug smugglers inside his own household.

In a statement released Monday, De Lima said Duterte is using his administration’s drug war to seek “vengeance against the political opposition.”

“Mr. Duterte and his rabid attack dog SOJ (Secretary of Justice Vitaliano) Aguirre should stop going after their imagined and fictitious drug lords, whether Sen. (Franklin) Drilon, Sec. (Mar) Roxas, Mayor (Jed) Mabilog, or myself,” De Lima, who is detained for drug-related charges, said.

Earlier, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV linked Paolo Duterte to the Chinese triad and the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China. Paolo has repeatedly denied the allegations. 

The Senate blue ribbon committee, in its draft report last month, cleared Paolo and Carpio of any involvement in the smuggling of drugs or other contraband into the country.

But the panel recommended that a lifestyle check be conducted on them. —RSJ/KG, GMA News