Malacanang defended President Rodrigo Duterte against critics who are comparing him to an Ateneo student involved in bullying.

"PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) is not a bully. To bully is to inflict injury, pain, and fear against those who are weak and incapable of fighting back or defenseless," Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement Monday.

Reaction from social media users came after the video of the student bullying his schoolmates went viral. People posted about the president's behavior of threatening drug dealers, corrupt people officials and even his critics in the Catholic church.

"The criminals and the corrupt violate the law with impunity. they feel no fear in their hearts to account for their crimes. They kill, they rob, they plunder the people's money, they couldn't care less if as a consequence of their crimes people suffer or die," Panelo said.

"PRRD threatens criminals and the corrupt with punishment as a retribution for their wrongs. He curses the hypocrites to let them know that they can not deceive the people with their hypocrisy," he added.

He said Duterte's manner of speaking was accepted by people when they voted him last 2016 elections.

"PRRD's outrage on any unlawful activity is expressed in strong and hyperbolic language for emphasis and effect. His manner of speaking has been factored in - and accepted by the electorate when they overwhelming voted him into presidency," Panelo said.

Panelo said only ritics of the president and his detractors "classify" him as a bully because they cannot swallow the reality of what he says or either they feel alluded to. Ella Dionisio/DMS