Cendaña, Pulong Duterte spar over 'day of reckoning' remarks on ICC case
MANILA, Philippines — The partisan word war in Congress shows no signs of slowing down. Rep. Percival Cendaña fired back at Rep. Paolo "Pulong" Duterte’s criticism of his earlier call for the Duterte family’s "day of reckoning."
In a statement on Monday, October 27, the Akabay Party-list representative said Duterte appears to have plenty of time to issue statements, as if he has been actively fulfilling his duties as a legislator.
"Ang sipag maglabas ng statements lately, ah. Sana ganyan din kasipag sa paggawa ng batas. Ilan na nga ba nai-file man lang?" Cendaña said. (So diligent in issuing statements lately, huh. Hopefully, they’re just as diligent in making laws. How many have they even filed so far?)
Duterte has filed only one bill since the 20th Congress began on July 28, Congress’ website shows. The submission came on October 21.
Cendaña also found it odd that Duterte would suddenly issue a statement against him, given that his “day of reckoning” comment dates back to March, when Duterte patriarch and former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity.
"Antagal na nung chika ko ha. Ngayon ka lang nakaisip ng sagot? Daming chika, paligoy-ligoy," he said. (My statement was made long ago. You only thought of an answer now? So much chatter, going around in circles.)
He also urged Pulong to make his and his family’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) public, stressing the importance of transparency for government officials amid ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
For Duterte's son, Pulong, Cendaña shouldn't be "preaching" about any "day of reckoning" since he is not a "spokesperson of justice, morality, and future events." He assumed that the minority lawmaker's March statement was also a call for the rest of the Duterte family to be sent to The Hague, Netherlands, where the ICC is.
"Our legacy is written in the streets, hospitals, and communities we’ve served. Yours is written in angry soundbites and cheap propaganda posters," Pulong said on Monday.
Cendaña answered back, saying he believes Pulong’s statements are merely an attempt to imitate his father, but "it’s a bad copy." He also clarified that he does not "fantasize" about sending Pulong or the rest of the Duterte family to the Netherlands because the "day of reckoning" already began when Rodrigo was brought to the ICC.
"Your father, and your gang, sealed your fate the moment you thought you could kill thousands without consequence. So yes, there will be a day of reckoning," he added.
The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I recently rejected the Duterte camp’s challenge, ruling that the Philippines’ 2018 withdrawal does not bar the court from prosecuting the former president for his war on drugs and anti-crime policies, including actions as Davao City mayor.
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