Duterte: Binay funded my disqualification case

ABS-CBN News

Posted at 16 Apr 2016 12:24 PM | Updated as of 16 Apr 2016 12:51 PM

MANILA - Tough-talking presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte minced no words in accusing political rival Vice President Jejomar Binay of funding the disqualification case lodged against him in the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

In a trip in Cebu to attend the birthday party of his ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, Duterte said that he has received confirmation that it was Binay who funded the disqualification case against him.

"Alam mo kung bakit galit ako kay Binay? S'ya ang nag-fund nu'ng disqualification ko," the Davao City mayor said.

Duterte also boasted about the credibility of his source regarding the issue.

"Nalaman ko. A-1, credible (ang source)," he said.

He also admitted that he initially thought it was former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas who mobilized the disqualification against him in Comelec.

"I was thinking it was Roxas. It was Binay," Duterte said.

The presidential frontrunner also downplayed Binay's statements that he will send Duterte to jail to answer the latter's alleged human rights violations and extra-judicial killings.

READ: Binay: Ipakukulong ko si Duterte

In an attempt to poke fun at corruption cases hurled against Binay and members of his family, Duterte said the Binay may probably get a family reunion inside prison.

"Di naman ako matatakot nang ganu'n. Binay, ikaw ang dapat matakot. Magsabay-sabay kayo sa Muntinlupa, ikaw, asawa mo, pati anak mo," He said.

Duterte also took a jab at Binay's poor performance in voter preference surveys, saying "Hindi naman talaga s'ya mananalo."

Binay tells Duterte: 'Bilang na ang araw mo'

Meanwhile, there is no stopping Binay in attacking his rival Duterte.

"Mister Duterte, ang sabi mo maghanda na akong lumuhod at magdasal. Alam mo, Mister Berdugong mamamatay ng bata at pumapatay ng mga mahihirap, kung merong dapat lumuhod at magdasal, ito ay walang iba kung hindi ikaw," Binay said Friday.

"Bilang na ang araw mo. The law will soon catch up with you," he added.

Binay on Thursday said that if he is elected president, he will put Duterte in prison over his earlier admission of his involvement in the Davao Death Squad (DDS), which is allegedly responsible for the summary executions of over 1,000 criminals in the southern city.

According to Binay, he is not afraid of Duterte. "Huwag mo akong babantaan. Hindi ako natatakot sa iyo," he said.

He said he will create an independent commission which will look into the extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by the DDS. The probe will look into the criminal liabilities of Duterte, he added.

The independent commission will be composed of former Supreme Court justices, human rights groups, the National Press Club, and the Commission on Human Rights.

"Ilang beses kang umamin--at ipinagyayabang mo pa--na ikaw ay pumatay ng libu-libo na pinaghinalaan mo lamang na sangkot sa krimen. This is called admission against interest and you should know this being a former fiscal and a lawyer," said Binay.

Speaking to residents of Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, Binay reiterated his stance that the Davao City mayor should not become president, stressing that a crime cannot be solved by another crime.

"Sabi ni Duterte, 'Pag ako naging pangulo eh mauubos ang lahat ng kabaong, ang mga isda mananaba dahil sa kakakain ng dugo ng taong pinapatay niya.' Wow. Yun ang hindi dapat maging pangulo.

"Lahat kayo, kayo marami sa inyo naniniwala sa Diyos. Bawal pumatay ng kapwa mo tao, lalong-lalo na pinapatay mo suspetsa lang ang mga hatol... Kaya naman pala ang Davao ay number 1 sa criminality, murder, kasi sila ang nagmu-murder," he said.

Duterte, meanwhile, has repeatedly criticized the vice president for allegedly stealing government funds.

Duterte has dubbed Binay as "berdugo ng pera ng tao," even likening the corruption scandal of the former Makati City mayor to the corruption cases filed against the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

READ: Duterte: Binay corruption worse than Marcoses'

READ: Duterte fires back: Binay 'berdugo' of public funds, Roxas 'bakla'

"Sabi nila, I am a threat to democracy. Ako raw ang berdugo ng bayan. Vice President, ikaw ang berdugo ng pera ng tao," Duterte said. - With a report from Dynah Diestro, ABS-CBN News Northern Mindanao