FORMER President Rodrigo Roa Duterte believes that the bloggers did not violate any law by interviewing former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Bantag who is a fugitive from the law.
“So if there are enterprising vloggers or newsmen, or members of the media who would go to him and interview him, and even picture him as a hero, you go to the extreme, that cannot be, by any measure, contemptuous. As a matter of fact, it is the right of the Filipino, who is into media, the freedom of expression, the freedom of the press. And even if there is a filed case against him, and even if he is a fugitive with a record now he has a case, you can ask question, you are not prohibited by any law or by any regulation that could amount to a contempt of what? Court?” according to Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Former President Duterte expressed his disagreement with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla‘s statement on contempting the bloggers who interviewed former Bureau of Corrections Chief, Gerald Bantag.
For Justice Sec. Remulla, the bloggers should be cited in contempt for disrespecting the court and the process of the law, as they interviewed Bantag knowing that he is a fugitive.
The Justice Secretary also emphasized that Bantag is facing a murder case.
However, according to former President Duterte, only Congress has the power to cite contempt.
“With due respect to the secretary, I beg to disagree. We are both lawyers, I know that you are more, you are brighter than me. I’m just using perhaps what I have learned, I am older than you. This is not to offend you but I disagree. There is nothing at all that you can, even an iota, even an iota of wrong or misdemeanor to hold these people liable in contempt. It’s only Congress who can cite you in contempt, the courts can cite you in contempt, quasi-judicial bodies,” Duterte added.
It can be remembered that the bloggers ‘Banateros bloggers’ also known as Banat By, Coach Oli, and Boss Dada, held an exclusive interview with Bantag.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, said it is preparing to file a complaint against these bloggers for interviewing the former BuCor chief.
Bantag is wanted for murder in connection with the killing of veteran broadcaster Percival Percy Lapid Mabasa.
