Photos from Atty. Mans Carpio Facebook page and Davao Today
TAGUM CITY, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte said he will never instigate a probe into the alleged corruption and drug links of his son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-in-law lawyer Manases Carpio.
The President, who arrived in Davao City on Tuesday night from a three-day visit to Japan, said that he is leaving the investigation to independent government agencies to look in to the accusations hurled to his son and son-in-law by his critics.
“Who would believe if I investigate my son and my son-in-law? Ikaw? Can you investigate your mother and father? I leave it to the independent agencies,” Duterte said.
The President named two independent agencies that would be allowed to conduct the probe: the Commission on Human Rights and the National Bureau of Investigation.
“I leave it to the independent agencies. There’s the Human Rights [Commission], which [is] making all the lies… And I leave everybody to decide what is right for this country,” said the tough-talking chief executive.
If his son Paolo, who is the incumbent Davao City Vice Mayor, is proven to be involved in the drug trade, Duterte said his order remains in full force and effect that police authorities could kill his son if proven guilty.
“If they are really guilty, then so be it. ‘Di ba sinabi ko na sa inyo noong mayor ako? Anong order ko sa pulis? ‘Barilin ninyo maski anak ko.’ At that statement remains. Barilin mo (I told you when I was still mayor, what did I tell the police? Shoot him even if he is my son. And that statement remains. Shoot him),” Duterte pointed out.
“Pag naggamit ng droga o nakahawak ng droga, barilin mo. Extrajudicial killing, if you want. And I can understand (If he uses or handles drugs, shoot him),” he added.
Duterte’s remarks came as reaction to the detained Senator Leila de Lima statement, saying that he should investigate the “drug smugglers [who] are living right inside his own household,” referring to the Vice Mayor land lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, the husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Delima, a staunch critic of Duterte, accused the chief executive of seeking “vengeance against the political opposition.”
“Mr. Duterte and his rabid attack dog SOJ (Secretary of Justice Vitaliano) Aguirre should stop going after their imagined and fictitious drug lords, whether Sen. (Franklin) Drilon, Sec. (Mar) Roxas, Mayor (Jed) Mabilog, or myself,” De Lima said in a statement on Monday.
