MATI – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday slammed the “attack” against her family, following fresh accusations that her husband, Manases Carpio, is involved in the illegal drug trade.
Duterte-Carpio, chairperson of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, said she already expected that the name of her husband would crop up in the succeeding videos of “Ang Totoong Narcolist” based on the documents that were posted in the previous videos.
The Palace and pro-administration figures have branded as black propaganda the video series, which linked different members of the Duterte family to the illegal drug trade.
“It’s an attack against the family and sinabi ko nga, it can be me dahil ako naman ang nakikita nila lagi ngayon because of the campaign for the senators. It could also be against the President dahil maraming hindi in favor of his administration,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters on the sidelines of HNP’s campaign sortienin Mati, Davao Oriental.
In the fourth installment of the video series, “Bikoy,” an alleged former drug syndicate member who claims to have knowledge about the Duterte family’s involvement in the illegal drug trade, said Duterte-Carpio’s husband had the codename “JENNABAY-TSG003” for his “tara” or grease money.
Bikoy claimed Carpio had rural bank accounts that had been receiving drug money since 2010. He claimed the drug money was then funneled into Carpio’s international bank accounts.
Bikoy also said there is no evidence yet linking Duterte-Carpio’s youngest brother, Sebastian, to the illegal drug trade. He said Sebastian appears to be only a drug user but did not present proof to back his claim.
Asked about Bikoy’s allegation against her youngest brother, Duterte-Carpio said: “In all statements and declarations especially sa kanila na may ganyang accusation, dapat siguro meron kang proof or evidence ng mga claims mo. Hindi ka basta-basta na lang mag-state ng something as if it is a fact without basis.”
The first three episodes of the video series have linked Duterte-Carpio’s brother Paolo, half sister Veronica, and former special assistant to the president Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go to the narcotics trade.
Paolo, Go, and Veronica’s mother Honeylet Avanceña have denied Bikoy’s allegations.
Duterte-Carpio said she expects more mudslinging as the campaign for the senatorial elections enters its last stages.
“Lahat naman ng black propaganda, paninira usually lumalabas kapag campaign and election time,” she said.
“Since 1987 pa lang nasa pulitika na si [former] Mayor [Rodrigo] Duterte so this is nothing new.”
