Palace denies Duterte admitted hand in Loot ambush

Malacañang on Wednesday denied that President Rodrigo Duterte's remark on the May 2018 ambush on former Daanbantayan, Cebu mayor Vicente Loot was an admission of involvement.

In a speech Tuesday night, Duterte seemed to have indicated that he ordered the hit on Loot, a former police official whom he has linked to the illegal drug trade, when he said: "General Loot. P— ina mo. Nanalo pa ng mayor. In-ambush kita, animal ka. Buhay pa rin."

But in an interview on Unang Balita on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said what Duterte meant was that Loot is still alive despite being ambushed. He chalked Duterte's rather confusing statement to the President not being "proficient in the Filipino vernacular."

"Hindi niya inamin. Kung papakinggan mo yung salita niya, ang sinabi niya, 'In-ambush kita.' But don't forget that this President is a Bisaya. Ang talagang sasabihin niya, in-ambush ka na, buhay ka pa," Panelo said.

"He (Duterte) is not proficient in the Filipino vernacular," he added. "Bisayang-Bisaya 'yan eh."

Panelo also said a check on previous transcripts of Duterte's speeches would show that he has repeatedly denied involvement in the ambush on Loot.

"If you will look at the previous transcripts of the President, 'yun ang sinasabi niya ever since. Laging gan'un. Wala siyang inaamin. That's silly and ridiculous," he said.

In a separate statement, Panelo said, "What the President intended to say was: 'Inambush ka na, buhay ka pa.'"

"The Filipino nation by this time is already familiar and used to the language of the President who invariably uses a mixture of English, Bisaya (Cebuano dialect) and Pilipino in communicating with the nation,"  he added.

Loot has repeatedly denied Duterte's allegations that he is involved in illegal drug activities. —with Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News