President Duterte Lashes Back at Ombudsman for Scathing Comments in an NHK Interview

“Ombudsman, find me a law which says I cannot threaten criminals with death. Find me a law which would bar me from saying ‘I will destroy you if you destroy my country’. If you can do that, I will step down tomorrow.”

Direct. Swift. Hard-hitting.

These words were President Rodrigo Duterte’s immediate comeback after Philippine Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales accused him of “goading people to kill people” in an interview with Japan’s NHK World that aired in the Philippines last Thursday. 

The President, in Malacañang during his speech to the new presidential appointees and officials, also pointedly posed another barbed question towards the Ombudsman: Since when did you [Morales] appoint yourself spokesperson of the criminals? The president also added that the Ombudsman should rein her mouth in because it has problems.

Morales, in the previously mentioned interview with NHK, heavily criticized the president, saying, 

“He is goading people to kill people. That’s a problem. His communications people say ‘that’s hyperbole.’ You know, they try to rationalize whatever he says, so whether or not the police or whoever he addresses these words, believe him. That’s a different story. The directive to kill people under any situation irrespective of the context, to me, that’s not acceptable.”

This was surprising, to say the least, because in a Meet the Inquirer forum just last December --- less than a year ago --- Morales’ opinion leaned towards the total opposite when she said that it’s not illegal when the President threatens to kills criminals.

“It’s not illegal to say ‘I will kill you’,” Morales said during the forum.

In any case, the President seems to be extremely frustrated by the Ombudsman’s recent statements, but says that he is trying his very best to not criticize her because of their being related by affinity.

Morales is aunt to Mans Carpio, who is the president’s daughter Inday Sara Duterte’s husband.

What do you think made the ombudsman change her opinions so quickly? Tell us in the comments below.