Duterte a no-show at preliminary investigation of grave threats raps

Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday did not appear before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office in connection with the complaint for grave threats filed against him.

His lawyers said Duterte had yet to receive the subpoena in connection with the complaint ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro filed against him.

“Well, hindi namin sasabihin delaying tactic ‘yun (we won’t say that is a delaying tactic)… We assume good faith there,” said Castro's lawyer Atty. Rico Domingo.

Castro in October filed a complaint for grave threats against Duterte after he labeled her as a communist. 

The QC prosecutors in November issued a subpoena to Duterte, ordering him to personally submit his answer to the complaint in the earlier hearing.

Supporters of Duterte and Castro flock to DOJ-QC to express their support, meters away from each other @gmanews pic.twitter.com/OkmANJ9x72

— Joahna Lei Casilao (@joahnacasilao) December 4, 2023

Supplemental affidavit

Castro and Domingo said they filed a supplemental complaint affidavit for continued grave threats.

“Ang laman po noon ay ‘yung another pagbabanta na naman po sa akin nung November 16 na programa niya,” Castro said.

(This includes another threat in his program on November 16.)

“Ito ‘yung binanggit niya, ito ‘yung laman din nung supplemental complaint ko. Inulit niya pa, nakalagay dito, kaya ikaw France, how do you solve the problem now? Kaya ‘yung statement ko ‘yung komunista dapat patayin kasali ka dapat,” she later added. 

(He said, and this is also included in my supplemental affidavit. He repeated, it states here, France, how do you solve the problem now? That’s why my statement that communists should be killed, you are included there.)

Domingo said the supplemental affidavit seeks to further prove that the threats against Castro have not stopped. 

“Kaya kami nag file ng supplemental complaint affidavit ay para pag tibayan namin na continuously ang pagka grave threat ng dating Pangulong Duterte sa katayuan ni Congresswoman Castro. Hindi po siya nag stop,” Domingo said.

(We filed a supplemental complaint affidavit to strengthen our argument that the grave threats of former President Duterte are continuous against Congresswoman Castro.)

They said Duterte’s lawyers, Atty. Penrose Ann Valles and Atty. Kristia Lorraine Caringal, accepted her complaint affidavit and supplemental complaint affidavit.

“They have 10 days to respond to the criminal complaint and the supplemental complaint. So we start the 10 days today,” Domingo said. 

He said the next hearing will be held on December 15. —NB, GMA Integrated News