Former president Rodrigo Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN)

House Deputy Majority Leader Quezon City 3rd district Rep. Franz Pumaren believes that former president Rodrigo Duterte has "gone too far". 

This, after ex-president Duterte supposedly threatened to kill Makabayan bloc member ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro in connection with the issue of confidential funds. 

“As the good former president should know, we, as lawmakers duly elected by our respective constituents to represent their interests, do not respond well to threats and intimidation. If his allegations have bases, then he should go to the proper channels and file charges,” Pumaren, said in a statement Monday, Oct. 16. 

“But to insinuate bodily harm or even the murder of a member of the House of Representatives, this has gone too far. We urge the former president to be cautious and reasonable in his criticisms. There are more peaceful and effective ways to send his message through,” added the former professional basketball player. 

A "small committee" in the House of Representatives recently carried out a rationalization of confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) that led to the reduction to zero of the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) in the proposed 2024 national budget.  

Vice President Sara Duterte heads both OVP and DepEd, which are asking for a total of P650 million in confidential funds under next year's budget. 

In defending the confidential funds asked by his daughter, the Vice President, ex-president Duterte made insinuations that the House of Representatives has hidden “pork barrel", a controversial practice that has already been prohibited by the Supreme Court (SC). 

He also said the Commission on Audit (COA) should take a look into the House's use of public funds. 

The elder Duterte was quoted as saying that the confidential funds the Vice President asked for would be used for the reestablishment of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and to fight off communist recruiters in the educational system. 

“Pero, ang una mong target sa intelligence fund mo, kayo, ikaw France, kayong mga komunista ang gusto kong patayin,” he said. 

(But the first target of your intelligence fund, you people, you France, you communists are the ones I want to kill.) 

“We implore the good former president to seek the path of peaceful resolution instead of engaging in making threats and intimidation. We should unite, not divide. We are not going to be good examples to the people if we give in to these bickerings,” Pumaren said.

The elder Duterte served as president from 2016 to 2022.