Duterte says court to decide if Aquino, others guilty for “Kidapawan massacre”

April 2, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday that it would be up to the court to decide on whether former President Benigno Aquino III and other officials were responsible in the bloody dispersal of protesting farmers in Kidapawan City a year ago.

"Actually that is for the court to decide," he said when asked on the decision of the National Democratic Front-Southern Mindanao Region "indicting" Aquino and others for the so-called Kidapawan massacre where two protesters were killed and scores were wounded.

He said he could not say if there were violations that were committed by the previous government.

However, he added, "at the end of the day, if that happened to me, that's mine."

Duterte said he would accept responsibility, similar to his directives to the soldiers and the policemen on his war on drugs.

"I am ready to be imprisoned," he said as he jokingly added, "if Aquino will also be imprisoned (with me), it's okay, (but) different cells."

He recalled that when he visited detained former Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. in their detention cells in police Camp Crame headquarters, the situation was like fiesta because of lots of food.

"Really, if I will be imprisoned due to my stance, fine with me," the President said.

Duterte has been criticized for his bloody war on drugs. There were threats that he could be charged before the International Criminal Court because of the alleged extrajudicial killings of people allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

He has said that he was ready to rot in jail. Celerina Monte/DMS