President Duterte has called a militant lawmaker a “hypocrite” and a “chauvinist pig” after questioning how the party-list congressman managed to fund the education of his child abroad.
The President brought out a government file on Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate during a televised address and alleged that the party-list congressman could be using rebel taxation to pay for his son's schooling in Europe.
Duterte said Zarate was “pulling everybody's leg” when he claimed his mother was bankrolling his child’s education at a university in Poland.
Zarate's mom had no more income since the last time she applied for a business permit was back in 2002, he added.
“I’d like to call the attention of Carlos Isagani Zarate, he’s a congressman. Adre, may anak ka na nag-aaral sa Europe. And sinasabi mo na si Sandro, ‘yung anak mo, ginagastusan ng lola. You know, baka sabi mo talaga maloloko mo ang Pilipino, lalo na ang – kami dito. Ang lola mo tinignan namin ang ano, matanda na wala namang propedad, walang income. Paano makagastos? (You have a child studying in Europe. You claimed that your son's education is funded by his grandmother. You know you think you can fool Filipinos, especially us. The grandmother is already old, she has no income. How can she spend money)?” he asked.
“Ikaw Zarate, you're a hypocrite. May sakit ka. You are on top of it all. You are a chauvinist pig,” he said.
Duterte also alleged that Zarate's son has been “traveling all over Europe.”
“Huwag mo kaming bolahin. Baka kaya siguro ang ginagastos mo 'yung pera ng kinokolekta ng mga NPA dito (Don't try to dupe us. You might be using the money collected by the NPA here),” he said.
“Hindi nila alam na sila, ang kinokolekta nila, pumupunta doon 'yan sa mga lider mga malaki ang kita. Tapos sila, hirap. Iyan ang problema diyan sa mga NPA. Nagpapaloko kasi kayo (They don’t know the funds collected go to their leaders who earn big while they remain poor. That’s the problem with the NPA. You’re willing to be fooled),” he added.
Duterte initially said he did not want to talk about “remittances” but still revealed that Zarate “sends regularly money to his son.”
“Pakisagot lang po. Kaya ikaw, you have an incongruity sa iyong ideology. Kunwari galit ka sa mga mayaman. Kunwari galit ka sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng wastong buwis, nagfa-falsify ng mga properties nila (Please respond to this. You have an incongruity in your ideology. You act as if you're angry with the rich, angry with those not paying the proper taxes, those falsifying properties),” he said.
“Ito si Zarate, komunista. Ito si Zarate, wala daw silang pera. Ito si Zarate, nagpapa-aral ng anak niya (Zarate is a communist. Zarate claims he is poor but he sends his kid abroad to study),” he said.
In the end, Duterte challenged Zarate to face him, saying the lawmaker could even bring former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as his bodyguard. He said he would ask his security detail “to go away.”
Zarate could not be immediately contacted for comment.
The President previously launched a profanity-laced tirade against Zarate, calling him a communist and a “co-conspirator.”