Duterte camp condemns alleged attacks vs supporters

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte on Monday denounced alleged recent attacks against the mayor’s supporters.

“We condemn to the highest degree the rise of threats and attacks on followers of presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte as the May 9 election approaches,” Duterte’s spokesperson Peter Laviña said in a statement.

Laviña issued the statement after getting reports that a black Isuzu Crosswind of a radio block-timer known as “Dr. X,” was riddled with bullets just after he disembarked from it outside Charm Radio, Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte around 8 a.m., Monday.

Duterte’s spokesman said Dr. X is a critic of the Liberal Party who openly supports the candidacy of Duterte. The unidentified gunmen were riding in tandem with black bonnets hiding their faces.

Aside from the assault against Dr. X, Laviña said they also received reports that metal spikes were placed on some roads in Camiguin where the Byaheng Du30 caravan is conducting campaign activities. The caravan came from Bohol and directly went to a Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) rally where the supporters of the mayor informed the team to watch out for spikes saying they found several while passing the road on the way to the campaign rally.

One of the caravan drivers said he saw spikes measuring at least two inches wide.

Duterte's camp downplayed the attacks and threats but urged the mayor’s supporters to be careful and not be afraid of these.

“We expect more attacks and threats to come as the day of reckoning approaches. It is one thing to bully us on social media and other fronts, quite another to actually attack us physically,” Laviña said.

“We call on supporters of Mayor Duterte: Do not be afraid, but at the same time, do not be careless. Change is coming, and he comes by the name of Rodrigo Duterte,” he added.