[ad_1]
DAVAO CITY – A militant lawmaker accused by President Rodrigo Duterte of having questionable sources of funds for his son’s education in Europe responded to Duterte’s spiel, saying that the money used for his son’s studies came from relatives .
Bayan Muna’s representative Carlos Isagani Zárate, also from Davao City as Duterte, also said he was willing to face the president after Duterte challenged him to a man-to-man meeting.
Zarate said his son’s study in Poland was being funded with money from legitimate sources, a reaction to Duterte’s spiel that called Zarate a “hypocrite and a chauvinistic pig” and questioned where the militant lawmaker was getting money to fund the your child’s education.
In his weekly televised message to the nation last Monday (December 21), Duterte devoted several minutes of his talk to Zárate, calling the legislator a communist and accusing him of receiving a portion of the revolutionary taxes collected by the rebels.
Zarate said his son went to study at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Poland in 2017, but had already returned in 2019.
“In September 2017, my son Xandro, an only child, went to Poland and studied philosophy at the Pope John Paul II University,” Zárate told the Inquirer via text message.
“He came home in July 2019 to complete his bachelor’s degree at a school here,” Zárate said.
“His tuition, living and other expenses were mainly sponsored by relatives residing abroad. His mother, a lawyer and I also support him within our means of income, ”he said.
“The expenses for his studies and maintenance came from honest and legitimate sources,” said Zárate in response to the president’s accusation.
Last Monday, Duterte said he was getting Zarate’s attention. “You have a son who studies in Europe. And you said that Xandro, your son, was being financed by his grandmother. You know, you said you thought you could cheat on the Filipino. “
“We looked for your grandmother and discovered that she is older without a source of income. How can you spend money? Duterte said, showing a stack of papers that he said contained intelligence information on Zarate and his family.
“It has been flying over Europe, Zarate,” said the president.
“It is your salary, Zárate, what you are spending for your son, and you are only saying that it belongs to your mother who is older, you are kidding everyone. Don’t fool us. Maybe you are using the money raised by the NPA here? Duterte added.
The president, however, did not make it clear what Zarate had done to anger him more than being among his critics and belonging to a militant bloc of legislators in the House of Representatives.
Duterte also challenged Zarate to confront him, even challenging him to bring in former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a vocal critic of Duterte and a former Navy officer, to serve as a bodyguard.
“Zárate you are a hypocrite, you are sick,” said Duterte.
You are aware of everything. You are a chauvinistic pig. You want to talk? Let’s do it the two of us. I want to talk to you, call Bong Go. Do you want me to go to your house? Here in Manila, where do you live? Let’s put aside the NPA, NPA and the communists. Let’s talk man to man, ”said the president.
“If you want a bodyguard, call Trillanes. I’ll be on my own, you two will find me. Tell the media where we will talk. I will order my security people to leave, ”said the president.
Previously, groups of lawyers at home and abroad had expressed concern about the continued red labeling of legal professionals that had endangered the lives of lawyers and activists in the country.
In addition to repeatedly calling Zarate a “communist,” Duterte also accused the left-wing groups of being legal fronts for communist rebels. “I know all that,” said Duterte, who once had close contact with the NPA in Mindanao as the mayor of Davao city for the release of captive rebels that made Duterte famous across the country.
TSB
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
