Malacañang yesterday condemned the ambush-slay of Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro, saying the government does not condone the killing of any person even if they are guilty or not of a crime or even an allegation against them.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said they do not allow any sort of killing of any person and that the perpetrator, if they the aggrieved party, should have just allowed the law to take its course.
“Hindi maaari na ang mga tao ay basta inaambush at pinapatay, whether sila ay mga pinaghihinalaang involved sa drugs, o sila’y mga wanted criminals. Kailangan paparaanin natin sa proseso ng batas. So we condemn that,” he said. “Hindi puwede ‘yung basta ka papatay na lang na para kang isang aso o isang manok o isang baboy ramo. We’re against it,” he added.
“Hindi yun ang sinusunod nating batas. Kaya we will have to let the police do their work and then prosecute those behind the killing.”
Panelo suggested that there may have been lapses on the part of the police since the crime was carried out while Navarro was under their custody.
“Siguro. Baka ‘yung mga… nagtataka nga kami bakit hindi sila naka-react,” he said. “Siguro nabigla. Nabigla siguro. Hindi nila inaasahan dahil biro mo, van na ng pulis ‘yun napahinto pa nila,” he added.
Navarro was shot dead last Friday by unknown gunmen while he was on a police vehicle en route to the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
The local chief executive, who was previously tagged in President Duterte’s narco-list, was set to undergo inquest for slight physical injury and acts of lasciviousness, a day after he was arrested for allegedly mauling a masseur and soliciting sexual favors.
Reports said Navarro’s killers, who were riding a white van, stopped the police convoy and told Navarro to get out of the vehicle before shooting him. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
