Duterte accuses PCIJ of being paid to discredit him, his family

MANILA, Philippines  — President Rodrigo Duterte has accused the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) of being paid to discredit him and his family.

This, after the media agency reported the spike in the income of the President and his children while they were in public office.

Duterte made this remark as he reiterated his threat to disclose the funding sources of PCIJ.

READ: Duterte threatens to disclose PCIJ’s ‘money’ links

“Eh itong mga taga-Maynila, mga writer akala mo si… Being so sarcastic.  Ang babaho ninyo. Bunganga ninyo pati lahat na. Ang babaho talaga ninyo. ‘Yang Philippine Investigative, ilabas ko. May ilabas ako. Maybe this week,” Duterte said in his speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally in Batangas City on Wednesday night.

“Puro bayad ‘yan. Anak ng p*** puro pera-pera ‘yan sila. Maniwala kayo. I’ll show you how,” he added.

He then told the public to stop believing in investigative journalists.

“Ito hindi ito ibinigay sa akin ng intelligence ng Pilipinas. Ibang… Pero makita mo ‘yang mga investigative journalism walang — huwag kayong maniwala niyan. Pera-pera ‘yan pati ‘yang mga writers na… Ipakita ko sa inyo. I’ll have it published,” he said. 

Duterte earlier slammed PCIJ, saying what he earned outside of politics was nobody’s business.

PCIJ had recently released a three-part report on the increases in the income of the President and members of his family, including questions about the presidential family’s law firm as well as their failure to disclose some business interests in their respective Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).

PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas had earlier responded to Duterte’s criticisms of the media agency, saying the President “did not have to lose his cool” but instead “offer clear, direct, straightforward replies to our queries.”

READ: PCIJ to Duterte: Nix blame game, address wealth issues

/kga