The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has filed complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte for inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances following his remark suggesting that 15 incumbent senators should be killed to make way for new candidates.
NBI Dismisses the Statement as a ‘Joke’
While the CIDG has pursued charges, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has yet to indicate whether it will conduct an investigation, with its director, Jaime Santiago, dismissing the statement as a joke.
CIDG chief Brigadier General Nicholas Torre III formally lodged the complaints after Duterte made the remarks at a PDP-Laban proclamation rally. During his speech, the former president said, “Patayin natin ‘yung mga senador ngayon para mabakante.
Kung makapatay tayo ng mga 15 na senador, pasok na tayong lahat… Talking of opportunities, the only way to do it is pasabugin na lang natin.”
“Let’s kill the senators now to vacate the seats. If we can kill 15 senators, we can all get in… Talking of opportunities, the only way to do it is to just blow them up.”
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stated that the NBI has the authority to conduct a motu proprio investigation but suggested that the agency would assess the situation first. “Motu proprio the NBI can do that.
Motu proprio, but tignan natin,” Remulla said in an ambush interview. He added that the DOJ would not react to every statement made by Duterte and that unless the senators themselves file a complaint, there may be no reason to act immediately.
Santiago, when asked whether the NBI would investigate, dismissed the concern, saying, “Kayo na nagsabi na joke eh. Miski kayo accepted ninyo na joke lang ‘yun.”
“You were the ones who said it was a joke. Even you accepted that it was just a joke.”
Pimentel and Dela Rosa Weigh In
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a reelectionist under Duterte’s PDP-Laban slate, also defended the former president, saying that the statement was not meant to be taken literally.
Lawmakers Call for Serious Action
However, some lawmakers argued that the statement should not be dismissed outright. Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong and 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez pointed out that authorities have taken action against ordinary citizens who make similar statements.
“When will the joke end? It’s about time for law enforcement agencies to take these remarks seriously,” Adiong said. He questioned whether there was merit for the NBI to file charges, adding that authorities should determine when rhetoric crosses the line into actual threats.
Gutierrez, a lawyer, added that threats of violence should not be normalized, citing Duterte’s previous statements admitting to killing people. “Even if the one who uttered the words is not serious, we cannot disregard the fact that he has a lot of followers,” he said.
“That is the problem with words: they could embolden people to do wrong.”
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III called on the public to let authorities do their work, saying, “They should know if a crime has been committed or not. If there is no crime, then let us drop the issue.”
However, he also commented on Duterte’s repeated remarks about killing, saying, “A person’s obsession with the topic of death and killing, mentioning it every time he or she speaks, is a worrying sign of a serious personality disorder.”
Comparisons to VP Sara Duterte’s Case
The issue follows a separate case involving Vice President Sara Duterte, who was investigated over an alleged kill order against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The NBI filed a complaint for inciting to sedition and grave threats against the Vice President before the DOJ. Remulla explained that her case was treated differently because she identified specific individuals.
“Specific kasi ‘yung kay Sara. Specific. Ni-name niya si Presidente, si First Lady, at saka si Speaker Martin Romualdez,” he said.
“Sara’s case was specific. It was specific. She named the President, the First Lady, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.”
