Former President Duterte has earlier lashed out over the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board's move to suspend his program being aired on Sonshine Media Network International channel, saying it violated his constitutional rights.

One, you have to be in gross violation of my constitutional right to free expression. Second, of course, is the outfit I'm using as a platform for violation of press freedom," Duterte said over the weekend, when he aired his sentiments on the MTRCB's suspension of his program, "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa."

The suspension came after the  ACT Party-list Rep. France Castro filed a grave threat complaint before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office against Duterte. 

In her complaint, Castro claimed Duterte made insinuations relating her to the communist armed group "without any proof" which "gravely threatened her life, liberty, and security."

Duterte dismissed Castro's allegation saying: "It is pure speculation, if not altogether improbable or manifestly absurd, to suppose that any of the essential elements of the crime charges against me are present as to warrant the filing of an information in court."

The former president said he considered the MTRCB's suspension of his program as "censorship."

"In my view, the suppression of your right to exercise this freedom cannot be subject to preliminary or permanent status. That shouldn't be allowed. The right to free expression is absolute to me. That is how I understood it," Duterte stressed.

"So, to me, to that extent or to the full time you are not allowed to talk, it is a derogation of your right, of your constitutional right to free speech and free expression," he added.