Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte has dismissed the physical assault and grave threat case filed against him as “planted,” following allegations by local businessman Kristone John Patria over a bar altercation in February.
The congressman, who recently flew to The Hague to visit his detained father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, at the Scheveningen Prison, addressed the complaint during a meet-and-greet with supporters.
In his remarks, Duterte claimed the accusations were politically motivated. “Ganyan na ang politika ngayon sa Pilipinas. Kung hindi ka talo sa ayuda, talo ka sa demanda,” he said.
Patria accused Duterte of attacking and threatening him at a bar in Davao City. He submitted a video of the alleged confrontation as part of the complaint filed with the Department of Justice.
While Duterte rejected the validity of the charges, he made no mention of whether he would file countercharges.
The elder Duterte, meanwhile, remains in ICC custody facing charges of crimes against humanity over his administration’s violent war on drugs, which human rights groups estimate left some 30,000 dead. His trial is set to begin in September, with legal efforts ongoing to seek dismissal of the case.
