Itinanggi ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na pinagbantaan niya ang buhay ni ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro.

Sa counter affidavit na isinumite nito sa piskalya tungkol sa reklamong grave threats na inihain ni Castro, tinawag ni Duterte ang reklamo na, "downright baseless, unfounded and grossly insufficient to satisfy the requirements of probable cause to indict me for the crime charged."

"It bears emphasizing that none of the requisite elements of the crime charged are present considering that I made no actual threat whatsoever to complainant Castro. In the first subject episode [cited in the complaint], I was merely recounting the conversation I had with my daughter, anent the proposed confidential funds of the Office of the Vice-President and the Department of Education," paliwanag ng dating pangulo patungkol sa October 11 episode ng kaniyang programang Gikan sa Masa, Para da Masa sa SMNI.

"It was a narration of our private dialogue and my recollection of the advice that I gave Inday Sara concerning said issue as evidenced by the phrases, 'sabi ko sa kanya, prangkahin mo. Sabi ko kay Inday,' and 'sabihin mo na sa kanya.' The alleged threatening statements were not even addressed to complainant Castro or to any individual as I was simply reciting the story of my talk with Inday Sara," patuloy ni Duterte.

Sinabi pa ni Duterte, na ang mga sumunod niyang pahayag sa isa pang episode na patungkol sa pagpatay sa mga komunista, kabilang si Castro, ay pananaw lamang niya.

"Notably absent in the phrase, 'Yun komunista patayin, kasali ka, dapat!' is any word signifying my personal determination, inclination or capability. Neither was the phrase couched in a language that shows future intention. If anything, the same is a mere statement of an opinion rather than of an aim, purpose or objective as claimed by complainant Castro," paliwanag niya.

Ayon pa kay Duterte, ang mga pahayag niya ay pagtugon lamang umano niya sa mga tanong ng mga nanonood kaugnay na rin sa umano'y plano na ipa-impeach ang kaniyang anak.

"I never had any intent to threaten or intimidate complainant Castro. Even supposing for the sake of argument that a threat was indeed conveyed, the foregoing evidently shows that I never abided by such [an] idea," saad ng dating pangulo sa affidavit.

"In view of the foregoing, the charge for Grave Threats under Article 282 of the RPC in relation to R.A. No. 10175 must be dismissed as the Complaint-Affidavit and the Supplemental Complaint-Affidavit failed to prove that the elements of the crime charged are present and that I had any intent to commit the same," ani Duterte.

Bilang tugon sa paliwanag ni Duterte, iginiit ni Castro na seryosong banta ang mga binitawang salita ng dating pangulo laban sa kaniya.

“Napakahalaga nito kasi siguro biro lang sa kaniya iyong mga sinasabi niyang threat at pambabastos sa kababaihan, pero sineseryoso natin ito," anang mambabatas.

“Ngayon, wala na akong nakikita, namomonitor na threat niya against me. Siguro na-realize na niya rin na hindi ko siya papalampasin,” dagdag ni Castro.

Tiwala ang mambabatas na papanigan ng piskalya ang kaniyang panig para iakyat sa korte ang reklamo na malalaman ang pasya sa Enero 2024.

"The fiscal said the resolution on this could be out by January next year. I have faith in the merits of my case and I have faith that we will be able to get justice," sabi ni Castro.—FRJ,GMA Integrated News