President Duterte on Thursday told politicians running in midterm elections in May not to misuse his public statements to gain advantage over their rivals.
Duterte said former Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella spliced a recording of his speech to picture incumbent Mayor Evelio Leonardia as engaged in illegal drug trade.
鈥淚 do not want something that is a fraud 鈥� I don鈥檛 want my name to be used for something [that] is not true,鈥� the President said in a video post on Facebook.
His words were twisted
鈥淚 would like to tell the people of Bacolod, I did not mention any mayor there. But if you ask me, I don鈥檛 want a guy committing fraud out of something that I said,鈥� he said.
The President criticized Puentevella for using his speech to malign Leonardia.
鈥淢y words were purposely and intentionally twisted. That鈥檚 not fair. My advice to Mayor Monico is not to do that,鈥� 聽Duterte said.
鈥淵ou used my name and you spliced my speeches, and even added something else to make it appear that Leonardia is into illegal drugs. That is wrong,鈥� he said.
Duterte publicly named 46 of more than 80 politicians on his so-called narcolist last week.
In his video on Thursday, the President said he never mentioned Leonardia鈥檚 name when he identified the narcopoliticians.
鈥淲hen I rattled off the names, I never mentioned the name of Mayor Leonardia. I just mentioned the names and I said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e a mayor there, right?鈥� I was referring to a previous meeting,鈥� he said.
Duterte said he summoned the mayors to Malaca帽ang to warn them not to get involved in the illegal drug trade.
He said he was supporting Leonardia鈥檚 reelection bid, calling him 鈥渢he better candidate.鈥�