No clearer conscience than mine —Panelo

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo reiterated on Friday that there are "no sacred cows" in the Duterte administration after former senator Antonio Trillanes IV branded him untouchable.

Trillanes also said that Panelo's referral of the letter of the family of convicted murderer-rapist Antonio Sanchez to the Bureau of Pardons and Parole had the blessings of the president.

In a statement, Panelo said  he believed he handled the matter correctly by referring the letter of Elvie Sanchez, wife of the former mayor, to the proper agency.

"I have exercised a high degree of professionalism and full transparency in my three years in serving the government. As the President has said, what I did was not just the correct way but the only and correct way of handling the matter," Panelo, who served as Sanchez's lawyer, said.

"There can be no clearer conscience than mine, on this matter," he added.

Taking a swipe at the previous administration, he said Duterte has "zero tolerance" against wrongdoings and corruption involving government officials.

"Our people have witnessed that there are no Kaibigan, Kabarilan, and Kaklase (KKK) in this administration which the previous dispensation is associated with," he said.

"All appointees of the incumbent President, including this representation, are on their toes as President Duterte has zero tolerance against malfeasance and corruption. The Chief Executive does not mince words in giving walking papers to officials involved in such practices," he added.

Panelo has admitted writing a referral letter and meeting the family of Sanchez, who was supposed to be released because of the good conduct time allowance law.

Public uproar over the impending release prompted the President to call for a review of the law and order close to 2,000 inmates earlier released to return to jail. —Virgil Lopez/LDF, GMA News