Former president Rodrigo Duterte said the grave threat charge filed against him by ACT Party-list Rep. France Castro before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office is "pure speculation and manifestly absurd."
Duterte responded to Castro's grave threat complaint on Friday, through his representative, in a 12-page counter affidavit sworn before Davao City Prosecutor Arnold Abejaron.
The former president is facing a complaint for grave threat under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 for his remarks over the SMNI channel's "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" television program aired on 11 October—where he discussed the confidential fund of the Office of the Vice President, headed by her daughter, Sara 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."
"The threat was not made to any condition, and it was committed using information and communication technologies," Castro added.
Duterte discussed Castro's allegations 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."
Duterte said the charges against him were based on mere suspicion and speculation should not be given any credence.
"Perhaps they found it opportune that I am no longer a public official entitled to immunity from suit, thus allowing themselves to take advantage of trivial and measly concerns in order to retaliate. However aside from quoting speeches and interviews, I have previously given, Castro failed to adduce evidentiary proof to corroborate the foregoing assertions," he said.
The former president believes that the complaint "does not contain any allegation that could even remotely support a well-founded belief that I committed the crime alleged thereon."
Castro previously accused the former chief executive's statements resulted in her "living in constant fear that she will become a victim of extrajudicial killing, forced disappearance, and illegal arrest."
Duterte explained that the alleged threatening statements "were not even addressed to complainant Castro or to any individual."
He noted he was merely recounting his previous conversation with Sara to the program viewers.
"The alleged threatening statements were not even addressed to complainant Castro or to any individual as I was simply reciting the story of my talk with Inday Sara to the program viewers," Duterte said.
