MANILA — Davao City’s Cong. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte accused impeachment prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan of exploiting the deadly Ateneo de Zamboanga University shooting to push an anti-Duterte narrative after she linked his family to what she described as a “culture of violence” in the country.
Duterte rejected Kapunan’s attempt to connect the school shooting to controversies involving members of his family, saying the incident should be treated as a criminal case rather than used to advance political arguments.
“Ang nangyari sa Ateneo de Zamboanga ay isang krimen na kailangang imbestigahan at panagutin ang mga responsable — not another episode ng impeachment propaganda,” he said.
Kapunan made the remarks while discussing the Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting and what she described as the broader problem of violence in Philippine society.
She cited Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and accusations of extrajudicial killings during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte as examples of rhetoric and actions that she said contributed to a culture of violence.
Kapunan clarified that she was not holding the Vice President solely responsible for the problem.
“Hindi lang ang vice president ang sinasabi kong responsible. I am saying that she certainly is contributing to the problem and not to the solution,” Kapunan said.
She also pointed to weaknesses in the country’s justice system and the lack of values education as other factors that could contribute to violence.
Paolo Duterte, however, said Kapunan should concentrate on presenting evidence to substantiate the prosecution’s allegations instead of drawing a connection between his family and an unrelated school shooting.
His response adds another layer to the political tensions surrounding the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President, with Kapunan serving as one of the prosecutors.
The shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University left two students dead and several others injured, triggering calls for a thorough investigation and tighter security measures in schools./PN
