Solar News
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte called on Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday to resign for failing to move for the arrest of big-time rice smugglers in the country.
De Lima’s rejoinder was that Duterte should shut up for having a “lousy mouth”.
Duterte added that De Lima should also step down “out of delicadeza” for failing to obtain the concurrence of the Commission of Appointments for her appointment at DOJ numerous times.
Duterte and De Lima have engaged in a heated word war that began when the latter claimed that the suspected rice smuggler known as Davidson Bangayan is a businessman from Davao City.
Both Duterte and Bangayan debunked the Justice Secretary’s claims.
In a television interview, Davidson Bangayan himself denied that he hails from Davao. He said he grew up in Metro Manila and his parents are from Tuguegarao.
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RELATED STORY:
Mayor Duterte volunteers to testify at Senate rice-smuggling probe
Source: GMA News
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has volunteered to appear before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food to testify on rice smuggling, saying the Justice department is taking too long with its own investigation.
In an interview with local reporters in Davao, Duterte said he is ready to reveal what he knows about rice smuggling and on the identity of businessman Davidson Bangayan, whom authorities say is the big-time rice smuggler David Tan.
“It’s not important how many names this person (rice smuggler) uses. What is important is at least the persona or the physical identity of that person and go ahead and arrest him. They have to wait for the Senate to provide them information? Bakit hindi pa nila arestuhin yan?,” Duterte said in a report on “24 Oras” aired Thursday evening.
Bangayan has denied that he is David Tan.
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima meanwhile said they are still gathering evidence to strengthen the case before filing it in court. “Dapat ho hindi niya (Duterte) kami dinidiktahan. Alam namin kung kelan kami magfi-file ng kaso, ayaw naming ora-orada lang,” De Lima said.
Duterte had earlier slammed De Lima in his local radio program for failing to charge Bangayan despite testimonies from some businessmen saying Bangayan and Tan are one and the same person.
The mayor even issued a grave warning against rice smugglers. “I want the smuggling of rice in my city stopped. If you do not stop, I will kill you,” Duterte was quoted as saying in a local press conference in Davao City on Jan. 7.
This prompted the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to send Duterte a formal letter warning him that the commission will investigate the incident as well as some extrajudicial killings in his city.
CHR chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales said she is still waiting for Duterte’s reply to the letter but admitted being offended when Duterte told her to “shut up” about his warning to rice smugglers.
“You cannot kill the criminal because we do not have capital punishment. Mahirap ako ma-offend, shinu-shut up niya ako? Well, I cannot shut up because that is my mandate (to uphold human rights)” Rosales said on “24 Oras”.
Duterte has challenged Rosales to sue him if there is anything illegal about what he said. “Is there a law which says I cannot threaten criminals? My statement is directed to criminals, it is not directed to law-abiding citizens,” he said. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News
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