Duterte denies giving ‘shoot-to-kill’ order vs Luzon lockdown violators

“I never said in public ‘shoot-to-kill. Period,” Duterte said in an unannounced public address.

The President explained that state peacekeepers would only resort to using violence when their lives were put in harm’s way.

“If you think you’re life is in danger, maging biyuda ang asawa mo na maganda, mag asawa ulit at ang mga anak mo mawalan ng tatay, pag tinignan mo na delikado ang buhay mo, unahan mo na patayin mo [if you think your life is in danger, do it before he does, kill him],” he said.

Duterte on Wednesday drew fierce backlash when he ordered the state forces to shoot dead anyone “who creates trouble” during the month-long quarantine of Luzon which was enforced to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“My orders are sa pulis pati military, pati mga barangay na pagka ginulo at nagkaroon ng okasyon na lumaban at ang buhay ninyo ay nalagay sa alanganin, shoot them dead,” Duterte said.

(My order to the police and military, and for the village officials as well, that if there are trouble and your life was placed in danger, shoot them dead.)

“Eh kaysa mag-gulo kayo diyan, eh ‘di ilibing ko na kayo…Huwag ninyo subukan ang gobyerno kasi itong gobyerno na ito hindi inutil,” he added.

(Rather than deal with the trouble, I’ll just have you buried…Don’t try this government because this government is not inutile.)

The warning came after 20 protesters demanding food and other assistance were arrested in Quezon City for staging a rally.

Duterte’s threat, according to his spokesman and legal counsel Salvador Panelo is “not a crime” and is based on the principle of “self-preservation.”

Duterte placed the entire island of Luzon, home to about half of the country’s people, under a month-long lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which has infected 3,018 people in the country, and killed 136 as of Friday afternoon.

Edited by JPV