MANILA — Contrary to claims by President Rodrigo Duterte’s critics, Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that there is no culture of impunity in the country.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the clarification in response to Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin’s remarks that the Philippines has become “dreadful and deadly” under the Duterte administration.
“There is no culture of impunity in the Philippines as we do not condone any state-sponsored killing,” Roque said in a press statement.
Roque said the Duterte administration continues to adhere to the rule of law.
He considered the recent killings of Mayors Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas and Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija as “an attempt to erode confidence in the President”.
Roque said the main platform of the governance of Duterte, a former mayor for 23 years in Davao City, “rests on fighting crimes”.
“We, however, cannot be deterred in our focus in security and restoring order in the community,” Roque said.
“Our people have acknowledged the President as ‘the protector of people,’ as evidence by surveys giving him high satisfaction, approval, trust and performance ratings,” he added.
Roque said the Philippine National Police (PNP) is sparing no effort to find and capture the killers of the two mayors.
Halili was shot dead by a marksman while attending city hall’s flag-raising ceremony on Monday in Tanauan City while Bote was killed in an ambush in Cabanatuan City the following day.