Castro on Duterte’s ‘kill senators’ remark: Murder, terrorism not a joke

Former President Rodrigo Duterte speaks on
Thursday at the proclamation rally for the senatorial candidates
of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said “murder and terrorism are not a joke” in response to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s remark about killing senators.

At the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) proclamation rally on Thursday, Duterte said they should “kill 15 senators” to make way for their party’s nine candidates.

“Nakakabahala na ang dating pangulo mismo ang nagbibigay ng ganitong mga pahayag. Hindi biro ang pagpatay. Hindi biro ang terorismo,” Castro said in a statement on Saturday.

(It’s worrisome that the former president himself is giving these kinds of statements. Murder is not a joke. Terrorism is not a joke.)

“Ang mga ganitong pahayag ay nagpapakita ng tunay na kulay ng kanilang pamamahala, na mistulang nagpapapatay o pumapatay ng sinumang kumakalaban sa kanila,” the ACT Teachers party-list representative added.

(These kinds of statements show the true colors of their brand of governance, in which they have anyone who opposes them killed.)

READ: Duterte jokes about killing 15 senators to make way for his bets

Duterte added in his remarks on Thursday that the only opportunity to make the kills was to “set off a bomb.”

“These are not jokes. These statements from former President Duterte are dangerous and show the true nature of how they view political opposition: as targets for elimination. This kind of violent rhetoric has no place in a supposed democratic society,” Castro said.