Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Monday described as absurd the interpretation of some people that no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself has owned up to alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country.
“…Admission na inutos nya ‘yung EJK? Kalokohan ‘yun,” Sotto said, responding to a reporter’s question at the Senate.
“We’ve never heard that thing, I mean, sa kanya. Never kung narinig ‘yun,” he added.
In a speech in Malacañang last Thursday, Duterte admitted that his only sin is the EJKs.
“Ako I will talk to a political exercise now. What are your sins? Ako? Sabi ko nga sa military, ano kasalanan ko? Nagnakaw ba ako diyan ni piso? Did I prosecute somebody na pinakulong ko? Ang kasalanan ko lang ‘yung mga extrajudicial killing,” the President said.
But Sotto said what the President meant by his statement is that he could be blamed for the deaths that resulted in the government’s relentless war on illegal drugs.
“Ang intindi ko dun pwedeng isisi sa kanya pagkat dahil sa drug war n’ya, maraming napatay. Maraming gumamit din ng drug war n’ya para mag-eliminate ng mga kaaway nila. Maraming ika nga’y nadisgrasya. Kaya pwedeng isisi sa kanya dahil sa drug war n’ya. That’s what he means,” the Senate leader said.
Sotto also cited as example his own experience when he was head of the anti-drug abuse council in Quezon City.
At that time, he said, he also sent many people to jail and he could also be blamed for the many untoward incidents that happened because of their anti-drug campaign.
Asked then if the President’s remark could not be used to pin him down on the case filed against him at the International Criminal Court, Sotto said” Ang labo. Ang layo…” /kga