MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that he carries an “unlicensed” pistol in case he runs into arch-critic Senator Antonio Trillanes IV indicates the chief executive “is clearly having a meltdown,” the lawmaker said Saturday.
In a speech at the 17th founding anniversary of Digos, Davao del Sur on Friday, Duterte said he packed a gun “kay di’ man ‘ni para sa kontra, naa man daghan man ko dihang security, kanang mag-personalay ta’g atubang ba (not for enemies since I have my security to take care of that but in case we run into each other).”
He also showed the pistol tucked in his waist and said: “Wa’y lisensya ni ha. Dili man kailangan og lisensya para mopatay og tawo (This is not licensed. You don’t need a license to kill a person).”
It was not the first time Duterte has publicly displayed a gun tucked into his waistband. He also did so in an early July speech at the founding anniversary of Davao del Norte.
In the same speech, Duterte also told soldiers they can challenge Trillanes to a duel should he shame them during a congressional inquiry.
“Putang ina ka, lumabas ka diyan, draw tayo (Son of a bitch, get out of there, let’s draw),” was what Duterte said soldiers should tell Trillanes.
Trillanes, a former Navy officer who was sacked from the service for involvement in a series of failed uprisings against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has been an outspoken Duterte critic. Lately, he has attempted to link Duterte’s son Paolo, vice mayor of Davao City, and son-in-law, lawyer Manases Carpio, to smuggling.
In his reaction to Duterte’s tirade, Trillanes said: “I am now seriously concerned that he doesn’t have the psychological capacity to govern anymore and that he needs psychiatric help right away.”
He also suggested that the Presidential Security Group “needs to take away his (Duterte’s) pistol before he hurts himself or another innocent person.”
