Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel is one with the many who said the kill-senators remark of former President Rodrigo Duterte should not simply be just laughed at. 

“Delikado ‘yung mga ganung salita sana i-discourage na ‘yun,” Pimentel said in a Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday. 

He, however, said things like this should be left to the wisdom of law enforcement to weigh if it violated sedition laws. 

“Although sabi ko ipaubaya na natin ‘yan sa mga investigators kasi pwede ngang pasok din ‘yan talaga sa sedition,” Pimentel said. 

“When you call for violence against government officials, pasok kasi ‘yan sa definition ng sedition. So ipaubaya na natin sa DOJ, NBI na if they feel na in the totality of the circumstances, may kaso ba o wala pero i-discourage natin ‘yan. Mahirap ‘yung sasabihing joke lang,” he said. 

At the PDP-Laban proclamation rally last February 13, the former President said he would have 15 sitting senators killed to ensure the sweep of his 12 bets into the upper house. This remark elicited laughing reactions from the audience but some did not sit well to some lawmakers and known critics of the President. 

Pimentel however said he did not feel threatened about Duterte’s remark as a sitting senator. He however is concerned that such a statement might not be received as a laughing matter by the former state chief’s followers. 

“Ah hindi, hindi ako threatened sa sinabi niya ang problema kasi may mga followers siya eh. Malay mo, ‘yung iba hindi joke ‘yun,” Pimentel said. 

PDP-Laban, Pimentel’s former party recently slammed the senator for writing a letter to Senate President Chiz Escudero encouraging him to convene court and try the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte immediately. 

This did not sit well with the Duterte-led party who, in a statement, said is vehemently against the trial against the former President’s daughter.

Pimentel hit back by calling them “fools” for barring him from using the name of the party he once headed. 

Before Duterte, Pimentel was once the president of PDP-Laban founded by his father and namesake, the late Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.

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