MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday advised his children to get out of politics as he decried what he described as "paid hacks" and "hyenas" in the media who are "dishing out lies."
"The earlier that they go out of politics, the better," the president told reporters after casting his vote in Davao City.
"Especially with the kind of media now, paid hacks, hyenas. And they themselves know that they are dishing lies," he added.
Duterte's eldest son Paolo is running for Davao City congressman while his youngest son Sebastian is gunning for the vice mayoralty post. His eldest daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is seeking reelection but as early as now, there are reports that she is being considered as a presidential candidate for the 2022 polls.
Duterte, however, reiterated that Sara should not join the presidential race.
"Inday (Sara's nickname), I am publicly warning her. The presidency will not educate you, it will just destroy you," the president said.
Sara, the leader of the regional political party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, previously said she would decide whether to run for president by 2021.
Duterte went on to claim that some media outlets are "professional twisters" funded by the west. He claimed some of these media organizations portraying themselves as "victims."
"They proclaim to the world with protestations that they are the victims of… But they are there because of their own making. We do not control them...And yet when the ruling is there, they refuse to accept," the president said.
The president did not identify the media outlets he was criticizing. The government, however, has been accusing the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Vera Files and Rappler of conniving with the opposition to discredit the government by spreading videos that linked members of the Duterte family to illegal drugs trade. The three media organizations have denied the allegation.
"You know they have sponsors. They have admitted it. They cannot organize without the money of the western, the western press," the president said.
Duterte also chided the "idiots of the western world" for supposedly giving awards to people who are in jail and facing criminal charges.
"This is a crazy world and let it remain there," he said.
"I’d rather that it remains this way so that allow the Western to - to muddle up everything. Because in the end, it is the Western world that’s going to suffer."
Palace slams 'Bikoy'
As this developed, Malacañang downplayed the latest statements of Peter Joemel Advincula, the man who claimed to be behind the videos that accused members of the Duterte family of benefiting from narcotics trade.
Advincula previously claimed that he is "Bikoy," the self-confessed former member of a drug syndicate who produced the anti-Duterte videos.
However, doubts about Advincula's credibility were raised after Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Advincula had also accused former president Benigno Aquino III of involvement in illicit drugs.
Advincula denied Sotto's claim in a new video and insisted that Duterte and his family are involved in narcotics.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo maintained that Advincula's remarks are a rehash of his 2016 "scam plan" against some personalities of the previous administration.
"It is amusing that some media outfits are still providing media attention to Peter Joemel Advincula. Suffice it to state that Mr. Advincula, or alias Bikoy, has been totally discredited as regards his allegations, his questionable character and dubious background," Panelo said in a statement.
"Like all lies, the sinister online videos have been stripped of its falsity and laid bare to the public its odiousness. As we have previously stated the fraud has been undressed naked and the perpetrators unmasked," he added.
Panelo reiterated that the "Bikoy" videos are mere "black propaganda" aimed at discrediting the Duterte presidency and boosting the chances of the opposition senatorial candidates.
"We leave to our countrymen their judgement on this attempt at vilification and outright travesty," the presidential spokesman said.