Former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo dismissed a sedition complaint filed against his erstwhile boss as “foolish,” claiming ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial remark about killing senators was simply a joke.

“Ano ba itong bansa natin? Hindi ka na pwedeng magbiro?” Panelo asked. “Magbibiro ka lang, pa-file-an ka na ng kaso. Wala ba tayong demokrasya?”

Panelo also mocked Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, P/BGen. Nicolas Torre III, calling him “more popish than the Pope” for taking the comment seriously. He added that none of the senators supposedly threatened by Duterte’s remark had raised concerns.

“Torre is a tower of ignorance and an edifice of nonsense,” Panelo said in a statement on February 17, labeling the sedition charge against Duterte as baseless.

“The grave threats complaint he and his agency have filed against FPRRD is dismissible in the prosecutor’s office outright for utter lack of legal basis and for being ludicrous as well,” he said.

“Don’t they have anything sensible and productive to do, other than doing foolish things?” he added.

Duterte’s remarks came during a PDP-Laban rally in San Juan City last week, where he joked about killing senators to make way for his preferred candidates in the 2025 elections.

“Patayin natin iyung mga senador ngayon para ma-bakante. Kung makapatay tayo ng mga 15 na senador, pasok na tayong lahat… Talking of opportunities, the only way to do it is pasabugin na lang natin,” Duterte said.

The remark, which sparked backlash, was condemned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who suggested Duterte’s comment was fueled by the strong position of the current administration’s senatorial candidates. “Siguro akala nila wala silang pag-asa kaya papatay na lang sila ng 15 senador,” Marcos said.

Despite the uproar, Duterte’s allies downplayed the comment.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, in an ambush interview, emphasized that Duterte was only joking. “Hanggang ngayon hindi pa niyo kilala si Pangulong Duterte, ‘no? Hanggang ngayon, ganoon pa rin? Ganoong statement, bigyan niyo ng weight? Klaro naman iyun na biro.”

Senator Imee Marcos also brushed off the comment, saying she was used to Duterte’s “Davao trash talk” and felt no threat.

Senator Robin Padilla, meanwhile, apologized on his behalf, explaining that the former president was not advocating violence but was simply joking.

On the other hand, several administration senatorial candidates sought to de-escalate the situation.

Former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, a candidate for the upcoming elections, treated Duterte’s remark as humor, stressing the importance of focusing on real issues rather than personal attacks.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson also avoided commenting directly, calling for a more respectful and issue-based approach to the elections. “Kasi very divisive ang ating eleksyon. Huwag na nating pang dagdagan pa ng divisiveness. So iyon lang ang aking hiling, mas maganda, hindi na lang mag-comment,” he said.

However, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III took a more serious stance, urging authorities to investigate whether Duterte’s comment constituted a crime. “(A person’s) obsession with the topic of death and killing, mentioning it every time he or she speaks, is a worrying sign of a serious personality disorder,” Pimentel noted.