Pulong on assault complaint: It’s up to Davao voters
Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte is leaving it to voters to decide his political future following the filing of a criminal complaint against him for allegedly assaulting and threatening a man in a bar about two months ago.
In a video uploaded on social media on Saturday, Duterte did not directly address the complaint filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) by Kristone John Patria for an incident that happened on Feb. 23 at Barrio Obrero bar in Davao City.
The eldest son of former President Rodrigo Duterte said his lawyers had advised him against issuing any statement while they were still “authenticating … the source of the video” that recently went viral and showed a man, purportedly Duterte, assaulting another.
“Sa akong mag kaigsoonang Dabawenyo, karon nakakita napod mo og video. Dugay-dugay na na nahitabo (To all my fellow Dabawenyo, you must have recently seen a video. That [incident] happened sometime ago),” he said.
“Ah, sige lang, inyoha gihapong desisyon kung kinsa inyong botohon sa pagka congressman sa unang distrito. Di ko magbuot (Anyhow, it is still up to you to decide whom to vote for congressman of the first district. I will not interfere),” said the congressman, who is seeking reelection.
Duterte said he had yet to receive a copy of the complaint.
Video, statement
In the 87-second video that surfaced on social media, a man, said to be Duterte, surrounded by several bodyguards, could be seen trying to hit another with an object he held in his right hand.
The victim, purportedly Patria wearing a black cap, was shown trying to appease the attacker, at times bowing his head. A confrontation ensued, with the aggressor landing punches and headbutting the victim.
Two other men in the bar noticed the altercation but were asked by someone, who seemed to be the attacker’s companion, to just leave.
In his sworn statement dated April 26, Patria accused Duterte of physical injuries and grave threats. He said it all started when he and the lawmaker had a disagreement over payment for one of the women that Duterte had asked him to bring to the bar.
“From the second floor of the bar… he was cursing at me and pushing me down the stairs. I tried to leave the bar but I was blocked by Paolo Duterte’s bodyguards on the first floor, and they were told to close the door,” Patria said.
“He headbutted me multiple times. I asked for forgiveness for anything wrong I may have done to him but he kept headbutting me. He then tried to stab me again. And when his bodyguard saw there was a CCTV camera he immediately ordered it turned off. That’s when I got cornered. He assaulted me for almost two hours at the bar—punches, slaps, and kicks, all from Paolo Duterte—all out of anger,” he said.
At one point, Duterte threatened to kill him, he said.
Then, “around 5 o’clock in the morning, he started handing me money – a thousand pesos for each punch, slap, or kick.”
Patria said he decided not to go to the hospital for his injuries or report what happened to the police for fear that Duterte might come back for him or his family.
