Rodrigo Duterte faces sedition rap for 鈥榢ill senators鈥� quip
Philippines’ former President Rodrigo Duterte addresses a proclamation rally for his senatorial candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino party ahead of the midterm elections, at a social club in Manila on February 13, 2025. —Photo by Ted Aljibe/Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines — A top police official on Monday filed a complaint of inciting sedition against former President Rodrigo Duterte over his remarks suggesting the for senatorial candidates of his political party.
This developed amid calls by lawmakers from the House of Representatives to have the former president investigated for his remarks at the proclamation rally of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Feb. 13.
Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police, filed the complaint of inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances in the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Under Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code, inciting to sedition carries the penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period (six months and one day to six years in prison) and a fine not exceeding P400,000, whereas under Article 154, unlawful means of publication or utterances carries the penalty of arresto mayor (one month and one day to six months in prison) and a fine of up to P200,000.
The complaint — the second legal action against Duterte over his myriad “kill” remarks — will be evaluated by the National Prosecution Service as to whether it has sufficient evidence to warrant a preliminary investigation.
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Torre told reporters that “I am filing this as a citizen, and as a policeman. It’s part of the PNP’s duty to ensure that we protect the public from criminal activities like this.”
“It may seem trivial, but coming from a former president, it’s not farfetched that it could be copied or taken seriously by his blind supporters,” he added.
“Because it’s already happened, right? He said to kill drug addicts, and it actually happened,” said Torre, a former police chief of Davao Region.
Duterte said at the proclamation rally in Club Filipino: “Now, there’s many of them [candidates for senator]. What should we do? Let’s kill the senators now to create vacancies.”
Behind the former president was Sen. Robinhood Padilla who smiled at Duterte’s remarks, which drew laughter from the audience and later chants of “Kill, kill.”
“If we can kill around 15 senators, we can all go in. But they’d be pitiful. Yet they’re irritating — not all of them, though. Talking of opportunities, the only way to do it is to use a bomb,” the former president added.
Bomb jokes are punishable by imprisonment under Presidential Decree No. 1727.
‘Just rhetoric’
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, for his part, told reporters: “The NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] can look at that motu proprio. But you know, sometimes we’re used to the former president’s language. We’re accustomed to it. Not everything he says will make us jump, right?”
Remulla also noted that Duterte’s remarks differed from the assassination threats by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In her online press briefing in November last year, the Vice President said her remarks were “no joke, no joke.” The NBI has recommended filing charges of grave threats and inciting to sedition against the younger Duterte.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago on Monday also played down the former president’s remarks, saying, “That’s just rhetoric, part of their political propaganda.”
Remulla had suggested that “if the senators file a complaint themselves, the DOJ will have a reason to act on it,” as they would be the ones at risk from Duterte’s remarks.
But some senators themselves dismissed these utterances by the former President.
Nicolas Torre III
“I think he just said it in jest. You know [him]. He’s just playful,” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said, adding that “he (Duterte) is so entertaining to watch.”
Duterte’s ally, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said, “It’s as if you don’t know President Duterte… It’s still a big deal to you… Don’t believe that joke. It’s a joke, clear.”
Drawing the line
House lawmakers also on Monday held a news conference to call for the NBI’s investigation.
“Do we allow this kind of rhetoric in the first place? Do we actually normalize this kind of talk? Especially if it’s uttered in a very important event like a proclamation rally?” House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong said, reiterating his earlier call for such an inquiry.
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“We are actually trying to convey a message where, in the case of the former president, he somehow has the license and permit to say anything he [wants]. He can tell you, ‘I will kill you.’ He can tell you, ‘I will kill him,’ and then get away with it,” he added.
“Let’s draw the line. When can we actually accept things as [a] joke or as a mere, [simple] ordinary rhetoric from that of a statement that actually causes harm to individual lives? So I think that’s just the thing that I would like to drive at,” Adiong also said.
He noted further that ordinary Filipinos are punished for simple bomb jokes.
1-Rider Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez said, “I think we have to really take [Duterte’s remarks] seriously this time.”
He expressed concern that Duterte’s followers could take his remarks as a “call to arms.”
“That’s [the] problem with words — it emboldens people to do what might be wrong,” Gutierrez said.
The lawmakers also appealed to Santiago to reconsider his “unfortunate” position.
