Malacañang responds to NY Times editorial: Duterte committed to saving Filipino lives

Malacañang on Wednesday said President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to saving lives of Filipinos by stopping drugs in response to an editorial published by the New York Times titled "Let the World Condemn Duterte."

In a statement to reporters, Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella said they "have a clear disagreement" with the editorial "which was based on a complaint filed by a lawyer of a self-confessed assassin."

The editorial had urged the International Criminal Court to immediately start preliminary investigation based on the complaint filed by Jude Sabio, the lawyer of self-confessed Davao Death Squad hitman Edgar Matobato.

In his response, Abella highlighted the fruits of Duterte's crackdown, noting how crime went down by 30 percent across the nation during the first few months of the new administration.

“PRRD’s number one priority is therefore to save lives and to improve the lot of all of our countrymen with the cooperation of law enforcement officials, public health professionals, civil society and committed citizens,” Abella said.

“Drugs are killing people in our country and around the world. Our President is committed to stopping this cancer on our nation and to building a better life for all Filipinos,” he added.

For his part, chief presidential legal counsel Sec. Salvador Panelo said that The New York Times should stop its baseless tirades against the President.

“The New York Times says that this man must be stopped referring to President Duterte in reference to the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. The New York Times editorial must be stopped from its reckless, irresponsible and baseless editorial on President Duterte,” he said.

“No findings have been made by any of the investigating body that conducted probe on the alleged extrajudicial killings, in fact, there is a finding by the Philippine Senate that the so called extrajudicial killing as are not state-sponsored or state-initiated. Therefore, there is no basis in fact and in law in the editorial of the New York Times,” he added. —JST, GMA News