ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (left), and former president Rodrigo Duterte (PPAB, Malacañang photo)

Is fear beginning to creep inside the chest of former president Rodrigo Duterte? ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro thinks so. 

"I was hoping that former President Rodrigo Duterte will see sense and participate in the preliminary investigation (PI) on Dec. 4 and 11. But his initial reaction as well as his hubris and fear to face his victims indicate otherwise," Castro said on Friday, Nov. 17. 

The Makabayan solon was referring to the ex-chief executive's pronouncements after the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office issued a subpoena against the latter. 

Castro had earlier filed a grave threats charge against Duterte. This, after the latter--known for his tough man persona--allegedly threatened to kill her in a television interview.  

In his most recent television interview, Duterte accused Castro of "oppressing" him. The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) further said that he "would rather go to jail" than respond to the summon. 

But Castro believes that deep down inside, the 78-year-old Duterte doesn't want to go behind bars. 

"If he does not attend [the PI], though, that is an indication that he feels that the case against him is strong and he fears facing jail time," said the deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives. 

In a virtual press conference Friday, the teacher-lawmaker acknowledged that technically, Duterte can assign a counsel to attend the PI in his behalf. 

But she claimed that doing so be a show of disrespect to the office of the prosecutor. 

"Dapat ay harapin niya kasi siya yung aking respondent. So yun po yung inaasahan natin (He should face the charges because he is my respondent. So that's what I'm expecting)," Castro said.