THE grave threats complaint filed against former President Rodrigo R. Duterte was dismissed by the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
In their 14-page decision, the prosecutors said that they decided to dismiss the case against the former President as based on the petition filed by ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. and Deputy Minority Leader France L. Castro due to insufficient evidence.
“After careful and judicious evaluation of the allegations and evidence obtained in the complaint, the undersigned finds the same to be insufficient to indict the respondent for the crime charged against him,” the resolution read.
The said statements were made by Duterte in his television program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” aired by Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) last October.
The said resolution was signed by Senior Assistant City Prosecutors Ulric Q. Badiola and Rosanna Morales Montojo, and Deputy City Prosecutor Leilia R. Llanes.
It will be recalled that Duterte opted to defend his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, against criticisms being made by the opposition parties with regards ti the confidential intelligence funds of the Office of the Vice President.
He even denounced the supposed supporters of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army.
The resolution said that they “find it unusual, if not ridiculous for a person to make public pronouncements of death threats or perpetuate threatening remarks, utterances or statements if he is that serious and deliberate enough in actualizing or effectuating such threats conceived in his mind, especially so considering that such individual , like herein respondent, is already in an advanced age and not anymore immune from criminal prosecution, as he is not anymore the incumbent president of the country.”
Likewise the complainant failed to obtain the necessary authentication from social media platforms and SMNI.
“Absent of any proper authentication, this Office cannot just take on its face value the genuineness and veracity of the subject threatening remarks/utterances / statements allegedly perpetrated by the respondent,” they said.
