Kiko on Duterte’s latest tirade against him: We need solutions to problems, not politics

Senator Francis Pangilinan on Wednesday brushed aside President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest tirades against him, saying the country needs solutions to the problems brought about by the latest typhoon and COVID-19, not politics.

“No comment na lang. Basta kami naka-focus lang sa trabaho natin lalo na't matindi ang pinsala [ng Typhoon] Odette at lumalala na naman ang [COVID-19]. Tulong at solusyon sa mga problema ang kailangan ng ating mga kababayan hindi pamumulitika,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

(No comment. We want to focus on our job especially now that there is a big damage brought about by Typhoon Odette and the COVID-19 situation is getting worse. Our countrymen need help and solutions to the problems not politics.)

In his public address Tuesday night, Duterte slammed Pangilinan anew for authoring the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.

He claimed that because of this law, children who committed a crime can be set free, adding that it raises the number of crimes "tenfold."

The President then urged the public not to vote for Pangilinan, who is running for vice president in Eleksyon 2022, as well as reelectionist Senator Richard Gordon, who leads the Senate inquiry into the alleged anomalous government purchases of COVID-19 supplies in 2020.

In an episode of The Mangahas Interviews, Pangilinan earlier defended the crafting of Republic Act 9344, saying the government did not fund the law which resulted in its poor implementation.

He also explained that members of criminal syndicates should be the ones put to jail and not the young offenders.

Pangilinan also pointed out connivance between the criminal syndicates and corrupt law enforcers.

“Ginagamit ng mga sindikato at kasabwat ng mga corrupt na pulis itong batas na ito. Sinasabi kulang, etcetera. Habulin ‘yung mga sindikato, wala nang mang-aabuso at ikakasangkapan ang mga bata,” he said.

(The syndicates, together with the corrupt police officers, are using this law. They should hold the syndicates accountable so that these children will no longer be abused.)

Under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, a child aged 15 years old or under at the time when he committed a crime shall be exempt from criminal liability but subject to interventions as provided by Section 20 of the same law.

It is not the first time that Duterte criticized the opposition senator for authoring the law.

In 2018, Duterte called Pangilinan the “most stupid” lawyer for pushing for the enactment of the RA 9344. 

Sought for his reaction at the time, Pangilinan suggested that the President needed to focus on the country's problems.

“Instead of resorting to insulting his critics it would be better if Malacañang focuses on bringing down the prices of basic goods and on going after the big time drug syndicates running circles around the BOC [Bureau of Customs] and the PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency],” Pangilinan told GMA News Online in a text message in November 2018. 

For his part, Gordon said Duterte advising the public not to vote for him might only show that the President is “worried” that he might win in Eleksyon 2022.

“Ang sabihin ko lang kay Presidente (I'll just tell the President), I pray for him, I forgive him. I don't know why he’s so mad at me. But if he says 'wag ako iboto (don't vote for me), he’s probably worried that I might win. Kinakabahan na siya na baka manalo ako, na malakas ako,” he said.

“‘Di ko naman na pinapatulan ang kampanya dahil February 9 pa ang umpisa niyan (I don't want to respond because it's not yet the campaign period. Campaign starts on February 9). In the meantime, naka-focus dito (I am focused here). I hope that the President will focus on the bigger things. I’m just a small pit in the horizon for him,” he added.

Right now, Gordon said he is concentrating on leading the Philippine Red Cross in its relief efforts for the Typhoon Odette victims.

“Let’s all work together. Let’s unite for our country because we really have humongous problems, gargantuan problems. Daming taong nahihirapan. Du’n na lang tayo mag-focus (A lot of people are suffering, let us focus on that),” he said. — RSJ, GMA News