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Duterte's EJK sin remark only a 'matter of language': Panelo

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<div> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1423144" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s earlier claim that his &quot;only sin&quot; was extrajudicial killings was only a &quot;matter of language&quot; that was misinterpreted, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Friday.</p><p>Duterte said in a recent public address that his &quot;only sin&quot; was &quot;extra-judicial killings&quot; (EJKs) or the illegal executions perpetrated by police who were part of the government’s war on drugs.</p><p>&quot;Ang sinasabi niya lang, iyan lang ang issue niyo sa akin, EJK. Ang isyu niyo lang sakin bilang presidente ng bansa ay extrajudicial killing,&quot; Panelo told ANC&#x27;s Dateline Philippines.</p><p>[He was saying, telling the public, that their only issue with him as the country&#x27;s president was extrajudicial killings.]</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a matter of language. He&#x27;s a Visayan, he&#x27;s not a Manileño, he&#x27;s not Tagalog,&quot; he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/27/18/duterte-ejks-my-only-sin">Duterte: &#x27;EJKs&#x27; my only sin</a></li></ul><p>It should not be taken as an admission of guilt because Duterte had &quot;been disputing that ever since,&quot; Panelo said.</p><p>&quot;You have to take everything in context in reference to his previous statements, in reference to his SONA speech,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;He said he declares war [on drugs], but there will be hell to pay for abusive police officers,&quot; he said.</p><p>Panelo said there may also be deliberate attempts to twist the words of the President.</p><p>&quot;They&#x27;ll be using everything and anything that will put him in bad light. That is the job of critics, that is the job of detractors,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;They want them out of office so anything that can be twisted, be taken out of context, they will do that,&quot; he said.</p><p>Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said the President was &quot;not serious&quot; about his statements about the unlawful killings.</p><p>“Alam mo naman si Presidente, ano. Hindi na naman iyan seryoso ‘no… I don’t think na ang konteksto niyan ay literal,” Roque told dzRH.</p><p>(You know the President. We know he was not serious about it... I don&#x27;t think that should be taken literally.)</p><p>At least 4,854 drug suspects have been killed in anti-drug operations, police records show. The figure is being disputed by human rights groups, saying the figures are way higher.</p>

<p>Duterte said in a recent public address that his "only sin" was "extra-judicial killings" (EJKs) or the illegal executions perpetrated by police who were part of the government’s war on drugs.</p>

Duterte said in a recent public address that his "only sin" was "extra-judicial killings" (EJKs) or the illegal executions perpetrated by police who were part of the government’s war on drugs.