In a democratic society, the law must be applied equally to all, regardless of status, political affiliation, or influence.
However, recent events in the Philippines reveal a troubling pattern of selective enforcement of laws on sedition and grave threats—one that protects the powerful while punishing ordinary citizens.
A teacher’s arrest for a tweet
Consider the case of Ronnel Mas, a 25-year-old public school teacher from Santa Cruz, Zambales. In May 2020, Mas posted on Twitter that he would offer a P50 million reward to anyone who would assassinate then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
His tweet was clearly hyperbolic—Mas was neither a billionaire nor a mafia boss capable of ordering a hit. By his own admission, he made the post out of a childish desire for attention, not a serious intent to incite violence.
Yet, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) quickly arrested him, paraded him before the media, and filed charges of inciting to sedition under the Revised Penal Code and violating the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
The case was filed three times and dismissed three times, but his arrest ordeal and public humiliation were punishment enough. Then, then-Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo insisted that Mas be prosecuted, arguing that threats against government officials warranted legal action.
The harsh response to Mas’ ill-advised joke sends a chilling message: ordinary Filipinos cannot speak carelessly against those in power without facing severe consequences.
A Vice President’s assassination threat dismissed
Fast forward to 2025, and the script is flipped. In a public press conference, Vice President Sara Duterte—the daughter of the former president—stated that she had already hired an assassin to kill President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Unlike Mas, Duterte’s statement was made on live television in a fit of rage, with all the seriousness and venom one could expect.
One would assume that such a blatant and direct death threat would lead to an immediate legal response. After all, the law is clear: Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code penalizes inciting to sedition, and Article 282 penalizes grave threats.
The NBI did attempt to file charges, but this time, Panelo took a very different stance, dismissing the case as “politically motivated” and claiming that “there can be no crime of a threat from the grave.”
Why the sudden change of heart? Suppose a public school teacher’s social media joke warranted arrest. Why was the vice president—one of the highest positions in government—given a free pass for a far more explicit and credible threat?
Rodrigo Duterte’s kill list and the double standard
Adding to this hypocrisy is the recent inciting to sedition case filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte. In a political rally, Duterte openly suggested killing senators to create vacancies for candidates of his party.
Unlike Mas, Duterte has a history of advocating extrajudicial killings, particularly during his bloody war on drugs. His words carry weight, yet his allies quickly downplay them as “mere political rhetoric.”
This trend of selective enforcement is undeniable: ordinary Filipinos face arrest for a joke, while powerful politicians are shielded from legal consequences for actual threats of violence.
The dangerous precedent being set
The Philippines is no stranger to political persecution and weaponized justice. The cases of Maria Ressa, Leila de Lima, and other critics of the Duterte administration prove that the justice system can be used to silence dissent.
But what is unfolding now is even more dangerous: the normalization of violence in political discourse and the tacit approval of threats as long as they come from those in power.
If laws on sedition and grave threats are only applied selectively, they cease to be laws and become mere political weapons. This erodes public trust in the justice system and emboldens those in power to act with impunity.
The Duterte-Marcos rivalry is shaping up to be one of the most divisive battles in Philippine politics, but amidst the chaos, one thing is clear: justice should not be a tool of political convenience.
If Ronnel Mas was prosecuted for his reckless words, so should Sara Duterte and Rodrigo Duterte. Otherwise, the Philippine government is simply telling its people that some are above the law in this country.
