President Duterte on Thursday warned a town mayor in Albay against threatening the family of slain Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe.
The President said he would slap the local official at the municipal hall if the wife or son of Batocabe continued to receive threats.
“Gaya nung pumunta ako ng Albay. Oo sinabi ko, “P***** i** mo, ‘pag merong isang…” Meron man talaga tatakbo, ‘yung relative, the wife, or the son. Do not – kasi ‘pag ginawa mo ‘yan, puntahan kita dito, p***** i** mo, sampalin kita diyan sa munisipyo mo,” he said during his visit to Tagaytay City.
“You want to try it? Sige. Bukas nandoon ako. ‘Pag hindi kita nilampaso diyan,” he added.
Duterte, who had condemned the murder of Batocabe, said he was willing to go to prison for his action. “I can take risk. I can go to prison. Walang problema ‘yan,” he said, citing he once landed in jail when he was a teenager.
The President made the remarks after the Philippine National Police tagged Mayor Carlwyn Baldo of Daraga as the mastermind of the Dec. 22 murder of Batocabe.
The mayor has denied any involvement in the killing, saying the he was being used as a scapegoat.
Batocabe, who was supposed to run for mayor in his hometown in the May elections, was killed by gunmen during a gift-giving event.
Duterte earlier visited Batocabe’s wake and raised the bounty for his killers to P50 million. (Genalyn Kabiling)