MANILA – The Malacañang has responded to the latest tirade of Vice President Leni Robredo following the death of nine activists in a series of police operations in Calabarzon province on Sunday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque dared Robredo to present evidence of her allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration is a “murderous regime” or she could face a charge in court.
“Kung personal niyang nakita ang nangyari, magbigay siya ng ebidensiya. ‘Pag ‘di siya nagbigay ng ebidensiya, baka siya ay makasuhan,” Roque said on Tuesday.
Robredo characterized the deaths of nine activists in Calabarzon as a “condemnable massacre” much like the over 7,000 drug war deaths during police operations.” She added that Filipinos are better than the “murderous regime” led by Duterte.
The Department of Justice and the Commission on Human Rights have launched separate investigation on the deaths of the nine activists. The police who conducted the operations, meanwhile, insisted that the activists resisted arrest and they were armed.
Prior to the police operation, Duterte tasked the police and military to kill communist rebels during a meeting with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Cagayan de Oro City.
Meanwhile, National Security adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Tuesday backed Duterte’s “shoot to kill” order. He said that defeating the armed communist rebels should be the concern rather than upholding human rights./PN
