Former President Rodrigo Duterte together with PDP Laban President Senaror Robin Padilla leads the proclamation rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, on February 13, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA (UPDATED) – Former President Rodrigo Duterte is facing inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances complaints filed by police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Nicholas Torre at the Department of Justice.

Torre filed the complaint for “case buildup” under the Department Circular No. 20 of the DOJ.

Under the new system, a prosecutor will evaluate the complaint to make sure that there is “reasonable certainty of conviction” and not just “probable cause”, before a complaint is filed before the National Prosecution Service.

“I am filing this as a citizen, and you know I am a policeman, part of the PNP to make sure that we protect the citizenry from criminal activities like this, maliit lang tingnan iyan pero being uttered by a former President, ay hindi malayong gayahin or will be taken seriously by his blind supporters,” Torre said. 

"Kasi nangyari na iyan eh di ba sabi niya papatayin ang mga adik, nangyari nga, marami nga ang  nagpatayan na hindi na maintindihan kung saan nanggaling, vigi-vigilante palusot but fact remains marami namatay dahil inencourage,"he added.

Torre said that while the PNP-CIDG is aware that the President speaks a rather colorful language, this should no longer be allowed.

“Bagong Pilipinas na eh, hindi na pwede yung mga ganung statements na kinaumagahan joke only na lang kaya nagkakagulo ang, ang gulo-gulo na nga ng pinagdaanan ng bansa natin in the past 6 years, hanggang ngayon ba naman dadalhin natin ang gulo na iyan, patay-patay pagkatapos if they will be taken on their word sasabihin na lang joke only,” Torre added.

He denied any politics behind his move.

“Alam niyo hindi to, this is beyond politics eh, this is beyond politics, huwag ninyong isipin na ito ay pulitika at ako ay ginagawa ito para girian ang pulitika, wala kaming pulitika diyan, sa statement ay maliwanag na enumeration ng violation of laws, nakasulat sa ating mga batas, hindi pwedeng lapastanganin na lang iyan ng ganon-ganon na lang lalo na ng taong palaging nasa limelight,” Torre said.

But Duterte’s former Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said the former President was just joking.

“Dati naman nila alam na palabiro siya, ano ba itong bansa natin hindi na pwede magbiro? Magbibiro ka lang fa-file-an ka na ng kaso, wala na ba tayong demokrasya?” Panelo said.

He said that the senatorial candidates of President Marcos should feel elated that they were the subject of Duterte’s joke.

He also noted that even senators did not feel offended.

“Dapat nga natutuwa ang mga nandun sa kabila gaya ng sabi ko kahapon, ang mga administration candidates, ang mga senador hindi nga umimik dahil nagbibiro lang si Presidente,” Panelo said.

Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation Director Jaime Santiago said Duterte’s remark was just a “part of political propaganda.” 

“Nakikita ko, rhetorics lang ‘yan, part lang ng kanilang political propaganda,” Santiago said of calls for the NBI to investigate Duterte's remark.

“During the past administration nung si president Duterte na laging ganyan puro patayan: ‘Pagkasinira niyo ang kabataan ng bayan, papapatay kita.’ ‘Yung mga ganung salita ni presidente [Duterte], bina-bite ‘yun ng ating mga mamamayan. But then time has changed. Maaari ‘yung mga tirada ni presidente na ganun, puro patayan, wala na tayo sa atmosphere ng patayan. Ngayon kailangan na katahimikan,” he said. 

NBI chief says Duterte's 'kill senators' remark just 'part of political propaganda'

Former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III also downplayed the statement of the former president, insisting that Duterte was just being his normal self.

“Ano yung reaksyon ng tao nung narinig nila ang remarks ng forer President? Tumawa lahat, does that encourage disobedience to the authorities? That’s just plain joke,” Delgra said.

Reacting to Torres' complaint, Delgra said: "No serious guy would ever file a case against him because obviously that was just a joke."