President Rodrigo Duterte will prepare his defense at the International Criminal Court (ICC) when he steps down.
According to the President, he will return to Davao after his term.
“Simple lang, ayaw nila ako maglaro pa ng pulitika. Gusto nila umuwi na ako sa Davao at maghintay ako sa maraming si dada nang dada diyan ng kaso. Hintayin ko kayo. I will prepare for my defense na ‘yung ICC na ‘yan,” said Duterte.
But he said that the charges against him should be true and that those who died of malaria should not be blamed.
“Huwag lang kayong magsinungaling. Kung totoo lang, tutal may record naman. Huwag kayong mag-imbento na ‘yung namatay ng malaria diyan pati — icha-charge ninyo sa akin. Kalokohan na ‘yan. Hindi na justice ang hinahanap ninyo niyan. Ibigay ko sa inyo. Hindi ko kayo tinatakot. Huwag lang ninyo akong dayain sa ebidensya,” said Duterte.
Duterte will prepare for defense at the ICC
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte issued a memorandum prohibiting Cabinet officials from attending the Senate hearing on the government’s purchase of allegedly overpriced pandemic supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp last year.
In the memo, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Cabinet secretaries are covered by the order. Still, all Executive Department employees are barred from attending the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon that has lasted nearly two months.
In his Talk to the People, Duterte said that explicit profanity should not be allowed during the committee’s ongoing hearing.
“Gordon, you are not God and you cannot play God. No. You cannot continue this hearing “till kingdom come.” You are not a senator forever and the time of reckoning will come. You and the Senate cannot compromise the government’s COVID-19 response by getting agency leaders tied up for so long at your beck and call,” said Duterte.
The President reiterated that if Gordon has enough evidence against Pharmally, he should just file a case in the right court.
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