House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon said the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are not only about the alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his family, but also about addressing what he described as a growing “culture of threats” in public discourse.
Speaking during a House of Representatives press conference on Friday, Ridon responded to a question about concerns that threatening language has become increasingly common among some public officials and their supporters, particularly after he himself allegedly received a threat from a local councilor.
Ridon argued that accountability should extend beyond high-ranking officials to anyone who issues threats, regardless of their position or the medium used.
“Ang totoo dito, ang pinaprosecute po natin di lang ang threats ng Pangulong Pangulo. Ang pinaprosecute din po natin ang kultura ng pagbabanta. Ang nakita po natin, the followers follow the leader, hindi ho ba? If the leader has made threats against the leader, kahit yung mga sumusunod sa kanila, ganoon din po ang ginagawa sa mga umuusig sa kanilang leader,” Ridon said.
He stressed that the same level of accountability being sought against the Vice President in the impeachment trial should also apply to supporters or other individuals who allegedly make threats.
“Very important na in the same manner we are exacting high accountability on the Vice President for grave threats against the President and his family, dapat ganoon din kataas yung sigasig natin dun sa paghahabol sa lahat ng gumagawa ng mga pagbabanta laban sa kung sino man ang tao, whether spoken like what the Vice President said or stated in digital form like what the particular local councillor did to me,” he added.
Ridon maintained that all alleged threats should be treated equally under the law.
“Magkakapantay po lahat ito. Kung hinahabol natin ang pangalawang Pangulo through impeachment, hahabulin din po natin ang mga supporters niya katulad nitong konsehal po na ito,” he said.
The remarks came as the Senate impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte continues, with one of the articles of impeachment involving allegations related to grave threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
