Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang slammed Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s “intellectually challenged” and “infinitely reckless” remark blaming President Rodrigo Duterte for the “daily killings” in the country.
“The political opposition is running out of issues to the point that its members are running berserk in their accusation against the President,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
“The remarks of Senator Francis Pangilinan not only are intellectually challenged but infinitely reckless as well,” Panelo added.
Following the murder of AKO Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe in Daraga, Albay, Pangilinan said in a statement the Duterte administration, particularly its so-called war on drugs, might be at fault for the “daily killings” that plague the nation.
READ: Pangilinan blames Duterte’s drug war anew for ‘daily killings’
But Panelo said the senator’s remark was merely “an attempt at gaining political mileage to boost the chances of its (opposition) senatorial candidates.”
Using the death of Batocabe for such purpose, Panelo said, “is a blatant disrespect to his memory.”
The Palace official reiterated the government strongly condemns “the brazen and senseless killing” of Batocabe.
“To associate his death to the current government’s campaign against illegal drugs is grossly irresponsible and utterly unfair,” he said.
“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,” he added.
The “daily killings” that Pangilinan attribute to the Duterte administration “are not state-sanctioned,” Panelo insisted.
“We reiterate that the President does not – and will never – condone extrajudicial and vigilante killings. Accountability remains a core of good governance and PRRD has made clear his stance relative thereto,” he said.
“Legitimate operations,” Panelo pointed out, “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.”
“Finally, 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,” he said.
He added that Mr. Duterte would “not be sidetracked in his constitutional duty to protect the people by the nasty comments of the opposition stalwarts who should know better.” /kga