President Rodrigo Duterte took a shot at former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after the latter warned the time for recknoning is near with the International Criminal Court finding reasonable basis that crimes against humanity were committed in the bloody war on drugs.
"Trillanes, when I see your name I see dog shit. Why would you threaten me that I will be imprisoned? I will go to jail if I am to go to jail," the President said Wednesday evening.
"I am not afraid. I am ready to die for my principles," Duterte added.
The President also reiterated that he never gave any instruction to kill in the course of his administration's campaign against illegal drugs.
"I never said 'kill this person.' I said, 'go out and destroy the apparatus.' If there is a shootout in the process of destroying the apparatus, then goodbye. I take responsibility for my order," the President said.
It was Trillanes and former Magdalo
party-list Rep. Gary Alejano who filed a “communication” or complaint before the ICC in 2017.
The communication asked the international tribunal to investigate Duterte for crimes against humanity.
On Tuesday, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda released her report which stated there was a “reasonable basis to believe” that the said crimes have been committed.
“Duterte may try to ignore the jurisdiction of ICC over him, but deep inside he knows that he cannot get away from this one. Having profiled Duterte, I am sure he is trembling in fear," Trillanes said in reaction to the ICC report.
The President on Wednesday urged the public to shun Trillanes should he seek for another elected position in 2022.
"Trillanes, if you are brighter than me, if you are more knowledgeable than me, then you should be the one talking here now," he said.