'HINDI AKIN 'YAN'

Duterte to Perez's kin: Killers not in my office

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said his government had nothing to do with the killing of Los Banos, Laguna Mayor Caesar Perez even if his name appeared on the list of narco-politicians.

In his weekly public address, Duterte said it was his obligation to inform the public who among the country's officials were involved in illegal drugs so that they would no longer be elected to office.

“You just have to look for the killers. Hindi dito sa opisina ko ‘yan. Remember that you are fighting the forces of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte told the bereaved family of Perez in his weekly address.

The mayor was shot dead at the municipal hall last week.

The Perez family asked for Duterte’s help to give justice to their father. 

Perez was among the alleged narco politicians named by Duterte last year who faced charges filed against him by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. 

However, Duterte denied personal involvement in the narco list.

“Hindi sa akin ‘yan. Ibinigay lang sa akin, hindi ako gumagawa ng listahan, hindi ako pulis, hindi ako sa intelligence,” he said.

Perez’s son earlier said that the slain mayor repeatedly tried to clear his name of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Just this year, Perez had presented a negative drug test to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Several other local chief executives, some of whom were also in the narco list, were killed in a similar manner in 2020.

Among them were Sultan Sumagka Mayor Abdulwahab Sabal and Sto. Niño, South Cotabato Mayor Pablo Matinong, who were shot dead in February and July, respectively. 

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday decried the seeming normalization of impunity in the country and stressed the need for the government to exact accountability on perpetrators of such crimes. -NB, GMA News