Updated (4:53 p.m.)
President Rodrigo Duterte听on Tuesday听denied听allegations听that he was using his power to silence government critics,听noting that he has given them the opportunity to 鈥渢alk and talk鈥� on a daily basis.
鈥淚 have yet to sign anything ordering the arrest or silencing of anyone especially the critics,鈥� Duterte said in his听t锚t锚-a-t锚t锚鈥� with Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in听Malaca帽ang.
鈥淭he fact that they鈥檙e doing it everyday just shows that I鈥檓 giving them the time of their lives to talk and talk,鈥� he added.
Opposition lawmakers have criticized the President鈥檚 Proclamation 572, which revoked the amnesty granted to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of Duterte鈥檚 arch-critics.
The Chief Executive, however, insisted that there were flaws in the granting of amnesty to the mutineer-turned-senator.
鈥溾�榊ung kay Trillanes, may nakita kasi si SolGen Calida na mali. Pag mali, mali. Walang magagawa 鈥榶an (Solicitor General Calida saw something wrong. If it鈥檚 wrong, it鈥檚 wrong. You can鈥檛 do anything about it)鈥ny lawyer will always agree with me that it (amnesty) is personal and exclusive to the President,鈥� Duterte stressed.
The President earlier claimed that former defense secretary Voltaire 鈥淰olts鈥� Gazmin is liable for 鈥渦surpation of authority鈥� when the latter recommended the amnesty grant to Trillanes and several others in 2011.听He said Gazmin made the recommendation and 鈥渁pproved it himself.鈥�
Duterte was also heavily criticized over the prosecution of detained Senator Leila De Lima, who is also among his staunchest critics, due to drug-related charges.
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