President Rodrigo Duterte blasted Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate Monday night, accusing the solon of using rebel taxation to pay for his son’s education in Europe.
Duterte said Zarate was fooling everyone when he claimed that his mother was paying for his son’s tuition in a university in Poland.
“I’d like to — I’d like to call the attention of Carlos Isagani Zarate, he’s a congressman. ‘Adre, may anak ka na nag-aaral sa Europe. And sinasabi mo na si Xandro, ‘yung anak mo, ginagastusan ni — ng lola (you have a son studying in Europe. You said your son’s education is funded by his grandmother),” he said in a taped speech.
“You know you think you can fool Filipinos. The grandmother is already old, she has no income. How can she spend for that?” he added.
Duterte said that he was probably using funds collected by communist rebels to pay for his son’s schooling.
“And your salary, Zarate, that’s what you’re using for your son’s schooling, you’re passing it on to your mother who’s old, eh you’re pulling everybody’s leg. Don’t fool us. You’re probably spending funds collected by NPA here,” he said.
“They don’t know the funds collected go to their leaders who earn big while they remain poor. That’s the problem with NPA, you’re willing to be fooled. You know your collection, only 30 percent is left for your salary,” he said.
He urged Zarate to respond to the allegations, questioning his sincerity to go after those who violated the law.
“Pakisagot lang po (Please respond). Kaya ikaw you have an incongruity sa iyong ideology. You’re pretending to be angry with the rich, angry with those not paying proper taxes, those falsifying taxes on their properties,” he said.
Duterte called Zarate a “communist” anew, adding that he has documents he could use against him.
He also challenged Zarate to face him, adding that he could even bring former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV with him.
“Kaya ikaw (You), Zarate, you are a hypocrite. You are ano… May sakit ka (you’re sick). You are on top of it all. You are a chauvinist pig. Totoo ‘yan. Gusto mong magkausap sa akin? Paalamin mo lang ako. Tayong dalawa lang. Gusto kitang kausapin (That’s true. You want to speak to me? Let me know. Just the two of us. I want to talk to you),” he said.
In previous speeches, Duterte said Zarate “cannot deny” his links to the communist movement because of his “personal” experience and knowledge.
Malacañang earlier rejected claims made by Zarate that Duterte’s tirades against leftist lawmakers were meant to “discredit” them in the next elections.
