Quezon City prosecutor summons Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday issued a subpoena to Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the first criminal complaint filed against him after his presidency.
Quezon City Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Ulric Badiola signed the subpoena ordering Duterte to appear before the fiscal’s office at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.?
The complaint was filed by ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro.
Badiola said the subpoena against Duterte was in line with the preliminary investigation of the case of grave threats filed by Castro against Duterte, in connection with Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code relating to Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.?
He directed Duterte to submit his counter-affidavit as well as the affidavits of his witnesses and supporting documents.?
“No motion to dismiss shall be entertained. Only counter-affidavits shall be admitted. Otherwise, the respondent is deemed to have waived the right to present evidence. Furthermore, no postponement shall be granted unless for exceptionally meritorious grounds,” Badiola said.
?“Under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Revised Charter of Quezon City and other existing laws, respondent is hereby commanded to appear before the Office of the City Prosecutor, Justice Muñoz Palma Building (Department of Justice), Elliptical Road, Quezon City,” Badiola stated in a one-page subpoena.?
He also directed Castro and her witnesses to reaffirm before him the veracity and truthfulness of the allegations on the same dates.
?Castro filed a criminal complaint against Duterte, alleging grave threats issued in his television program titled “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” on Sonshine Media Network International and aired on Oct. 11 where the former president said, “Pero ang una mong target d’yan [sa] intelligence fund mo, kayo, ikaw France, kayong mga komunista ang gusto kong patayin. Sabihin mo na sa kanya (The first one to target with the intel funds is you France and other communists who I like to kill).”?
According to Castro, it was clear that Duterte was referring to her as during the first part of the interview, the former chief executive mentioned
