By Azer Parrocha/PNA
MANILA — The remark of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on “daily killings” allegedly being touted by the Duterte administration as the solution to the country’s ills is “intellectually challenged and infinitely reckless,” Malacañang said on Monday, stressing anew that the killings were not state-sanctioned.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark in response to the senator’s statement that the murder of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe could be the result of the order that “for every kill, reward money was given by government.”
“The daily killings was touted by the Duterte administration as the solution to our country’s ills, that the more killed in the drug war, the better,” Pangilinan said in a statement posted on his official Facebook account.
“Impunity and police abuse became the order of business. Pretty soon, the killings and in all likelihood the offer of reward money, quickly went beyond the drug war to include priests, lawyers, local politicians, journalists, and even businessmen. For the right price, any killing can be arranged, so it seems,” he added.
Panelo said that the opposition is already running out of issues to the point that its members, such as Pangilinan are “running berserk in their accusation against the President.”
“The remarks of Senator Francis Pangilinan not only are intellectually challenged but infinitely reckless as well,” Panelo said, noting that the senator’s statement was an attempt to gain political mileage for the Liberal Party.
“Using the death of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe for such purpose however is a blatant disrespect to his memory,” he added.
Panelo emphasized that Pangilinan has been “grossly irresponsible”” and “utterly unfair” by associating Batocabe’s death to the current government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
He pointed out that the Palace strongly condemned Batocabe’s killing and President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself considered such a heinous crime.
“It is the opposition which seeks to cushion the full force of the law against the perpetrators by speaking against the President’s relentless drive to end the drug menace instead of supporting it,” Panelo said.
Not state-sanctioned
Panelo also reiterated that the President never condoned extrajudicial or vigilante killings, noting that the President has made clear his stance that “accountability remains a core of good governance.”
“The ‘daily killings’ that the Senator attribute to the Duterte administration are not state-sanctioned. We reiterate that the President does not — and will never — condone extrajudicial and vigilante killings,” Panelo said.
“Legitimate operations must follow protocols and authorities have the right to protect themselves from suspects who resist arrest and put up a violent fight that endanger their lives,” he added.
He also stressed that under the Duterte administration, perpetrators of crimes will always be brought to justice.
“We always stress that any violation committed by arresting state agents, including those who abuse authority, would be dealt with accordingly, as exemplified in the case of Kian de los Santos where three erring policemen were arrested and subsequently convicted,” Panelo said.
“The President will not be sidetracked in his constitutional duty to protect the people by the nasty comments of the opposition stalwarts who should know better,” he added.
Reports showed that Batocabe was shot by a still unidentified suspect around 3 p.m. on Saturday while attending a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in Barangay Burgos in Daraga, Albay.
Batocabe was running for mayor of Daraga in next year’s midterm elections.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Chief Oscar Albayalde earlier said that his agency will form a special investigation task group to probe the incident.
“I have directed the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group to mobilize all available resources and to orchestrate all aspects of investigation to ensure that justice is served as soon as possible to both the victims and their families,” Albayalde said.
