Former President Rodrigo Duterte (PPAB)

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should look into former president Rodrigo Duterte's remarks wherein the latter said that he would kill senators in order to ensure the victory of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial slate.

Thus, said Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who reckoned that the NBI must give to the ex-president "the same level of scrutiny" it showed to the latter's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, when she publicly announced an alleged assassination plot against President Marcos.

“In a democracy, words have power—especially when they come from someone who has held the highest office in the land. If certain statements warrant legal scrutiny, it is imperative that all similar declarations be assessed fairly and consistently,” Adiong said in a statement Sunday, Feb. 16.

He urged the NBI to assess whether such remarks, particularly those referencing acts of violence, fall under existing legal provisions.

“In moments like these, our institutions must stand firm in upholding the rule of law. We must ensure that no individual, regardless of position or influence, can erode the principles of democracy and accountability,” Adiong said.

During a gathering in San Juan City last Feb. 13, the elder Duterte spoke about the upcoming elections and the composition of the Senate and suggested an extreme course of action to secure victories for his allies.

“Anong dapat nating gawin? Eh di patayin na natin ang mga senador para magkaroon ng bakante. Kung makapatay tayo ng 15 senador, makukuha natin silang lahat...Kung tutuusin, baka ang tanging paraan lang talaga ay pasabugin.”

(What should we do? Let's just kill the senators to create vacancies. If we can kill 15 senators, we can secure all of them...Maybe the only way is to blow them up.)

The ex-president's remarks were met with loud cheers from his supporters, who responded with chants of “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Adiong expressed deep concern over these statements, and recalled how similarly provocative rhetoric in the past had led to real-world consequences.

“Kung ang pagsabi ng bomb joke ay bawal sa batas at may kaakibat na kaparusahan, lalo na dapat ‘yung banta na magpapatay ka ng 15 senador,” he said.

(If uttering bomb jokes are illegal and carry punishment, all the more should be the threat to kill 15 senators.)

He noted that while Duterte may later claim his words were spoken in jest, “pero hindi niya puwedeng itago sa joke ang pagbabanta sa mga senador (but he can't hide a threat to senators inside a joke)".

The Mindanao solon stressed that statements like these cannot be taken lightly, particularly given the history of Duterte’s followers acting upon his statements. 

“We have seen before how rhetoric like this can embolden individuals to take matters into their own hands, often with tragic consequences. When public figures normalize threats of violence, they create a dangerous environment where words can translate into real harm,” he said.