SB to Duterte: Name criminals you killed

MANILA, Philippines - Is Dirty Rody just bluffing?

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. yesterday dared presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to name at least one of the criminals he claimed he killed in the city.

In an interview after the gift-giving event of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. led by President Aquino yesterday at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, Belmonte said he believes that Duterte’s admission of killing criminals is just part of his “image making” for his presidential bid.  

He said that it is easy to say how many people one has killed, but it is difficult to name names.   

“I don’t know if he has killed 1,700 or one or two. To be very frank, maybe none. I haven’t heard of a single complaint from any relative. I have not heard of any name being mentioned. I have not heard of any occasion or date as to when it happened. Maybe this is just image-making,” Belmonte said.

“So I would like to dare our very brave mayor to name names. Not ‘I killed them, I will kill them,’ that is nothing. Name names.

“Kung sana machine gun lang ito, pagbabarilin ko kayong lahat at nang ako naman ang maging popular (if this only a machine gun, I will shoot all of you so I will become popular too),” he added.

Belmonte refused to say whether Duterte should also be ready to face charges in case an allegation would turn out to have evidence. 

“I just assume that he can defend himself as to why he killed people. He is prosecutor, police, judge, Supreme Court, executioner all in one. Maybe he can justify this,” he said. 

“It’s easy to talk. What if I say I had ordered 25 people killed. Would someone believe me? Name names, even one name,” he added.

Earlier, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) urged the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police to investigate Duterte’s admission that he killed three criminals in his first three months in Davao City Hall in 1988. 

Belmonte backed the call of the CHR, saying that an investigation should be done before the Philippines becomes a laughingstock of the world because killing is the “principal credential” of one of the presidential candidates.

Duterte also said that he would slap Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II should their paths cross.

Sought for comment, Belmonte said: “Sampalin din niya ako kung makita niya ako at ihahabla ko siya (he should also slap me when he sees me and I will sue him).” 

Miriam: Duterte can’t be charged over statements

But Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago expressed belief that Duterte cannot be charged over his controversial statements about his alleged extra-judicial killings.

Santiago, another presidential candidate and a former trial court judge, said the courts cannot use statements.

“That would be an admission against interest, and he will need the whole panoply of judicial defense. I think these allegations can be disregarded unless there is weighty evidence that these are not hyperbole, or just some of the things politicians say to catch the attention of the public,” she said yesterday. – With Christina Mendez