(Eagle News Service) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lashed out again at ABSCBN and Inquirer on live television, accusing the first of estafa, and the other of non-payment of taxes.
“ABSCBN, inestafa ako niyan. ABSCBN accepted my money kasi noon, at the later part of the campaign..when I got the money sa mga well-meaning supporters, nagbili ako ng airtime para naman masali and pangalan ko ..Hindi lumabas,” he said in a press conference at the Davao International Airport prior to his departure for the Middle East.
He said “there’s not even an offer (from) you, ABSCBN, to return my money.”
“You know what is the crime? I’ll tell u. It’s very simple. Estafa. Tinanggap mo pera ko, di niyo in-air, estafa,” he said.
Duterte also said that ABSCBN was “nonchalant” when a boy was made to “have a hard time” when he danced in front of an audience in the channel’s supposed on time show then.
The President could be referring to “Willing Willie,” which came under fire in 2011 after a 6-year-old boy was made to dance in a lewd manner in exchange for P10,000.
The program, was, however, already being aired on TV5 at that time.
It was still hosted by former ABSCBN talent Willie Revillame, though.
“Did you (take) to task (someone for) the incident? Sino ang pinagbintangan ninyo? Ang idemanda ninyo, yung nanay. P—– I—- ABSCBN. Kung (mag)palabas ng objectionable na child abuse. Nonchalant,” he said.
Inquirer and “all the journalistic hypocrisy”
During his speech, the President also turned his ire at Inquirer, which he said did not pay its taxes.
“Tapos ang taxes ninyo, nilakad ni (Kim) Henares. It ended up wala kayong binayad. Tapos sasabihin niyo, ‘Saan ang pera ng Pilipino? Bakit ho nagpapatayan na…ang mga Kadamay pati sundalo kasi nagaagawan na (ng bahay)…,'” he said.
Henares was the BIR commissioner during the adninistration of President Benigno Aquino III, Duterte’s predecessor.
Duterte also lashed out at a supposed relative of the Prieto family, who own the Inquirer.
He said based on the Commission on Audit, a Prieto “son-in-law,” Briccio Santos, received P2.4 million in compensation as then-Film Development Council of the Philippines chairman.
An online check shows that Santos was married to one Mercedes “Peachy” Prieto, who later married Jose Roberto Delgado.
Duterte said FDCP executive directors Teodoro Granados and Jose Miguel Dela Rosa were also paid P1.8 million and P1.7 million, respectively.
“The officers enjoyed higher salary grades than the leading educators like the president of the University of the Philippines Alfredo Pascual and the president of the Development Academy of the Philippines Antonio Kalaw (Jr.),” he said.
This was confirmed by COA’s Report on Salaries and Allowances CY2013.
According to the report, Pascual had a higher basic salary (P1.08 million) than Santos (P947,352), but in 2013, Santos received allowances of P1.25 million, more than the P164,000 Pascual received.
The UP president is a Salary Grade 31 position, according to the Department of Budget and Management, while the FDCP charter says that the chairman is a Salary Grade less position, (Grade 30).