Duterte’s punching gesture at De Lima done in ‘playful manner’ says solon

Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte finds himself seated next to arch-critic and former senator Leila de Lima during the House of Representatives quad committee hearing on the war on drugs last Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.  (INQUIRER / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA)

MANILA, Philippines — Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s punching gesture aimed at former senator Leila de Lima during the House of Representatives quad committee’s 11th hearing on the brutal drug war seemed to be done in a “playful” manner, according to Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. 

During the hearing on Wednesday, when de Lima claimed Duterte was lying about not knowing her, the former president — seated beside her — was seen raising a fist at her. 

“Sa tingin ko, I may be wrong.. it was done perhaps in a playful manner, alam mo naman ang dating pangulo komindyante din ito, may mga gestures din siya, minsan may mga statements din siya na talaga naman nakakatawa, may humor, very witty,” the lawmaker told reporters in an online interview on Thursday.

(I could be wrong, but I think it was done, perhaps in a playful manner. You know the former president is a comedian, his gestures and statements have humor, very witty.)

“We don’t know if it’s a serious attempt to strike his seatmate […] At napigilan naman yon lahat naman po ay sumusunod sa rules,” he added.

(It was prevented because everyone was following the rules.) 

In response to the viral clip, the former senator posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she is “unfazed” by Duterte’s violent gesture against her. 

“After all, he dug his own grave today with his invitation to the ICC (International Criminal Court),” she wrote. 

“I welcome the pronouncement of Malacañang that the Philippine government, at long last, will cooperate with the ICC and Interpol, should they serve arrest warrants against Duterte and his cohorts,” de Lima added. 

Aside from de Lima, Duterte also threatened to slap and eventually hit former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV with a microphone.

This comes after Trillanes dared Duterte to sign a bank secrecy waiver after the former claimed that the bank accounts of the former chief executive and his relatives received deposits from a drug lord.

Trillanes presented the bank documents before the lawmakers as he called the drug war “fake” and just a cover-up for Duterte’s alleged “drug syndicate.”

The former senator also assured the lawmakers that the bank accounts he presented were validated by the Office of the Ombudsman, similar to the ones submitted by the Anti-Money Laundering Council.