Threatening President Rodrigo Duterte is a big no-no, even more so if you’re doing it over the internet, the Presidential Security Group (PSG), the chief executive’s bodyguards, warned today.
“I would just like to convey to the people not to be involved in any way of threatening the President or anybody especially with the use of social media,” PSG Commander Col. Jesus Durante III said in a statement.
Durante’s statement comes after a school teacher from Zambales was arrested by authorities for offering a PHP50 million (US$993,900) bounty on Twitter to anyone willing to kill the president. This was followed by the arrest of a Boracay construction worker who posted on Facebook last night that he would offer twice that amount to anyone willing to snuff out the president.
Read: Again? Boracay worker arrested for offering PHP100M to anyone who can kill Duterte
“Anybody could be held liable if he threatens to harm or kill a person, what more if the one that is threatened is the president of the republic,” Durante said.
The PSG chief added that he will be coordinating with law enforcement agencies to “monitor and apprehend those who are responsible for such acts.”
Read: Duterte says misogynistic remarks were his right, part of freedom of expression
Meanwhile, over on Twitter, netizens have expressed that authorities were quick to bring ordinary folk to justice, while officials who have clearly violated the law are defended and not held responsible.
Users like @iamrigzp have tweeted, “[The] law is only applicable for the poor and the marginalized. Our justice system cannot even lay a finger to the rich and and (sic) powerful. they can blatantly lie and get away with ease.”
Law is law is only applicable for the poor and the marginalized 🤡 our justice system cannot even lay a finger to the rich and and powerful. they can blatantly lie and get away with ease 💁🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/eWyOat9kwp
— Rigz 💥 (@iamrigzp) May 13, 2020
Photo Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified another PSG member in the main photo as PSG Commander Col. Jesus Durante III. A photo of the actual PSG Chief has been re-uploaded to correct this. Coconuts Manila apologizes for any confusion caused.
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