MANILA – In what could be later dismissed as just a joke, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed to have killed for outgoing House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
In a speech that elicited laughter among members of the House of Representatives present during the appreciation dinner for Arroyo on Tuesday night, Duterte said he killed because he thinks the former president will like it.
“Bilib ako sa iyo, ma’am, kasi you might want to know that even when I was (Davao City) mayor and for the years that President Arroyo was there, I was really working for her,” Duterte said.
“Of course, wala akong pinatay na tao na utos niya. Pinatay ko na lang kasi feeling ko gusto niya,” the President added.
It was not the first time that Duterte bragged that he has killed someone, only to be later dismissed by Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo as a joke.
Duterte was also all praises for Arroyo as he described her as “the true living icon in Philippine politics and embodiment of strong political will.”
“Perhaps no other chief executive in our history comes close to President Arroyo’s example of carrying out decisive actions even if such actions would prove to be unpopular,” Duterte said.
“Indeed, her intuitive and hands-on leadership has carried our nation forward, especially during trying times,” he added. “She was hard to deal with; I used to call him [sic] in the wee hours of the morning just to listen to me and to seek my advice.”/PN
