GINGOOG CITY, Misamis Oriental – Davao City Mayor and Hugpong ng Pagbabago chairperson Sara Duterte said yesterday that it is she, not her father, President Duterte, who is the main target of the videos linking members of the Chief Executive’s family to criminal acts.
Sara, who is leading a senatorial campaign caravan here as HNP leader, said she was informed that her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, her brother, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and half-sister Kitty are the next target in a third video episode uploaded in the online news site Metro Balita by a certain “Bikoy.”
“It’s not the President because he’s already the President. The only way to remove him is through impeachment,” said the Davao City mayor who has been strongly touted as a formidable presidential bet when her father ends his term in 2022.
She pointed out that the persons being linked to various anomalies in the two videos that have been uploaded since Tuesday have links to her.
In the first uploaded video entitled “Ang Totoong Narco list –Episode 1,” Paolo, her elder brother, was accused of being engaged in the illegal drugs trade and various irregular transactions during his term as Davao City vice mayor.
Paolo has strongly disputed the claims in the video and pointed to opposition Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes, a staunch critic of the Duterte family, as the person behind the bid to damage their reputation.
The second video that was released yesterday identified Elijah Pepito, the Duterte couple’s former law firm partner, as having acted as representative for President Duterte’s common-law partner, Honeylet Avancena, and their daughter, Kitty, in stashing millions of pesos in supposed dirty money in overseas banks.
On the other hand, Environment and Natural Resources Assistant Secretary Waldo Carpio, Sara’s brother-in-law, has been tagged as Paolo’s treasure keeper.
“Nakikita ninyo ang mga taong binabanggit nila doon: It’s my brother who is connected to me; my sister who is connected to me; it’s an associate lawyer who is connected to me; and it is my brother-in-law who is connected to me. In the next episode, its my husband who is connected to me,” the HNP chairperson told reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s sortie here.
Asked if she is the target of Bikoy’s exposes, Duterte surmised that she is, explaining that it is already too late for subject her father to muckracking since he is now the President.
“Ngayong nakaupo siyang President, the only way to remove a sitting President is through impeachment…and of course, patayin mo,” stated the presidential daughter who quickly made the sign of the cross.
She has watched the videos and is now awaiting the uploading of others. (Ben Rosario)
