NORMALIZING VIOLENCE
A House leader denounced former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte for normalizing violence in public discourse, warning that their words embolden lawlessness and degrade democracy.
Assistant Majority Leader and Taguig City Rep. Pammy Zamora slammed the elder Duterte’s recent statement where he joked about killing 15 senators to pave the way for his preferred candidates in the Senate.
“This is beyond reckless. A former president joking about murder is unacceptable. Words like these from a leader have real consequences,” Zamora said.
She also took aim at Vice President Duterte, saying her actions mirror the same reckless leadership style.
“Imbes na magsilbing boses ng hinahon at matinong pamamahala, tila mas pinili niyang manahin sa kanyang ama ang paggamit ng dahas at pagbabanta bilang paraan ng pamumuno,” she said.
The lady lawmaker emphasized that leadership should not be about instilling fear but about inspiring confidence in the people.
“Leadership is about serving the people, not threatening them. A true leader inspires, not intimidates,” she said.
“Enough is enough. We cannot allow our leaders, past or present, to keep making murder sound like a policy option,” Zamora added.
The congresswoman said that under Duterte’s administration, thousands were killed in a bloody drug war that remains under investigation by international human rights bodies.
“The violence we saw during the Duterte administration is not something to joke about. It has real consequences, and our country continues to deal with the aftermath,” Zamora said.
She warned that this pattern of violent rhetoric, combined with their political maneuvering, is a dangerous sign.
