FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte only laughed at allegations of an alleged dismissed member of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) that he and his daughter, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, received guns from KJC's leader, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at Harana Restaurant on F. Torres Street, Davao City, Duterte said it was a "silly" idea to think that Quiboloy can provide guns.
"Bakit man si Pastor mamigay ng baril sa akin? Saan man siya kukuha? Kung magsabi siya wala siyang baril bigyan ko siya (Why would Pastor give me guns? Where will he get guns? If he tells me that he doesn't have guns, then I would give him)," Duterte said, adding that he has more than 500 guns in his possession and joked that he is the supplier of firearms ever since he was a child.
"Collectors ang category ko e, ibig sabihin bili ako ng bili pero hindi ko magamit, I can only use one, I can carry a gun only one out of the entire collection maskin mag-abot pa nang singkwenta mil yan. We are only allowed by the authority to carry one gun, not even a rifle," he said.
He said that he has been carrying a gun since when he was still a mayor because he often goes to the boondocks where the insurgents are.
However, when asked if he already has a private army since the hundreds of guns he possesses could already constitute a private army, he answered with a big NO.
"A collector is a collector, you collect and collect and collect, hindi ito BIR, collection ng firearms ito," he explained.
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On Pastor Quiboloy: 'Get yourself arrested'
Meanwhile, on the claims of his friend, Quiboloy, that he is the target of an elimination plot by the Philippine and the US governments, the former president said he could not validate independently Quiboloy's statements.
"But what I can say is maybe somehow his life is in danger," Duterte said.
He added that Quiboloy can still move freely in the Philippines since his legal cases are in the US and the process of extradition is long.
When asked if the US would resort to "extraction" against the pastor, he said Quiboloy's case is but minimal, and the US won't waste its resources and violate a law just to get his friend.
He also quashed some senators' threat that they would arrest Quiboloy for ignoring the Senate's subpoena against him.
"What is the equivalent of the word subpoena? It's not an order, you can not order an ordinary citizen like me to... compel me to report to you," he said.
The former president added that even if the Senate would resort to bringing the words "national interest" just to compel Quiboloy to appear before the lawmakers, he could just ask them: "What is the significance of that interest?"
He, meanwhile, agreed that the summon for Quiboloy could lead to contempt because of an unreasonable refusal. But according to him, Quiboloy should still refuse to come forward because he has not seen any "national interest" in his case.
"Get yourself arrested. If you don't want to go there, get yourself arrested," the former president, who is also a lawyer, advised his friend Quiboloy.
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On Mindanao secession: Just a tickler
The former president also revealed that his campaign about Mindanao secession is all but a 'tickler', explaining that those in the position should always work with the Republic of the Philippines in their mind.
"Huwag ninyong pabor-paboran yan kasi hindi lang kayo ang Pilipino," he said.
He also warned those in power to "shape up" because although all of us are Filipinos, we are not of the same tribe. CEA
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