Albayalde: Duterte ‘kill order’ for bishops a ‘personal matter’
Director General Oscar Albayalde. INQUIRER FILE / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest statement supposedly ordering the killing of Catholic bishops is just a “personal” matter, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said Thursday.
Duterte earlier lashed out at the Catholic bishops, saying they are better off dead.
“Itong mga obispo ninyo, patayin ninyo. Walang silbi ‘yang mga gagong iyan. All they do is criticize,” Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang Wednesday.
READ: Another joke? Duterte says Catholic bishops useless…kill them
Asked if he sees the statement as an official order, Albayalde said Duterte never ordered the police to go above the law.
“The President has repeatedly said that we [should] perform our duties in accordance with the law. Wala naman siyang sinabing going above the law,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“What is probably the [statement against the] bishop, probably it’s quite personal. That’s probably [between] the bishop or the priest and the President,” he said.
Albayalde said Duterte’s fierce remarks could only be “part of him.”
“Probably it’s just part of him. Probably it’s just on how he says things and how he emphasizes [it.],” he said.
The PNP chief said he does not take all the remarks of the President seriously.
“Not seriously, of course. When you talk to the President he will always give his directive that you do your job or you perform your duties within the ambit of the law,” he said. /cbb
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