Palace on Duterte’s EJK comment: The President was merely “being himself, being playful”

(Eagle News) — The Palace on Friday, Sept. 28, said President Rodrigo Duterte was merely “being himself, being playful” when he said his “only sin” were what he said were the extrajudicial killings in the country.

“That’s the President po being himself, being playful, highlighting the point na hindi siya corrupt,” Roque said in a radio interview.

According to Roque, it was as if the President was saying that “pinupulaan siya ng EJK pero hindi po siya napupulaan na magnanakaw siya.”

“Ano kasalanan ko? Nagnakaw ba ako dyan ni piso? Did I prosecute somebody na pinakulong ko? Ang kasalanan ko lang yung mga extrajudicial killing,” Duterte said in a speech on Thursday, Sept. 27.

In the same speech though, Duterte said there was no proof that could tie him to the killings he said were done by unscrupulous policemen.

In previous speeches, Duterte also denied he ordered policemen to kill, emphasizing they were only given the go-signal to protect themselves from criminals who attack them.