Former presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo labeled as "demolition job" on the Dutertes the linking of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the murders of three Chinese detainees in Davao.
"The demolition job on the Dutertes is in full swing," Panelo said in a statement on Thursday, Aug. 22.
"The enemies of FPRRD are using convicted felons of murders and drug trafficking to link him to the murders of the three Chinese detainees of which they were the perpetrators on the basis of their bare allegations," the former spokesperson added.
During a quad committee of the House of Representatives, two persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) claimed that they killed the three Chinese individuals, who were convicted of drug charges, on the orders of the former president.
They further claimed that they received P1 million each for killing the Chinese detainees. It happened when they were still detained at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016.
Duterte's former spokesman said the "convicts have nothing to lose since they are jailed for life," adding that they are obviously "making those statements for a consideration."
"If it is true as they say that they killed the three Chinese in exchange for money and release from prison, necessarily they can lie about FRRRD’s alleged link to the murders for the same consideration of money and freedom coming from those who want to destroy the Dutertes," Panelo said.