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Salvador Panelo clarifies his “homicide lang” statement

Salvador Panelo described Pemberton’s case as “homicide lang.”

  • His statement garnered negative reactions from netizens who are horrified about the way he downplayed homicide.
  • He then said that his statement should be viewed with other heinous crimes in the country. 

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo was slammed by netizens after he compared President Rodrigo Duterte’s grant of absolute pardon to US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton to Former President Benigno Aquino III’s grant of pardon to Robert Burton.

Pemberton was convicted of homicide in 2015 after he killed a transgender woman, Jennifer Laude, at a motel in Olongapo City. On the other hand, Burton was convicted of drug trafficking in 1993.

“Si Presidente Aquino may pinardon na Amerikano at alam mo yung crime niya? Drugs. Oh eto nga homicide lang eh,” Panelo said during his show Counterpoint.

Celebrities and netizens reacted to his statement, stating how horrified they are that the President’s Chief Legal Counsel would downplay homicide.

“Pero nakapagtataka pa ba iyon ganyang mga statement galing sa gobyernong nagsasabing 6,000 (and counting) LANG ang namatay sa drug war?” Bernaby Lo asked.

Frankie Pangilinan also reacted to Panelo’s statement.

Other netizens also reacted negatively to Panelo’s words.

Panelo then explained that his statement should be viewed in consideration of other crimes in the Philippines.

“Bakit ko sinabi na homicide lang? Kasi ’yun pong drugs kung saan ’yung British nga na pinardon ni PNoy, ’yung krimen niya ay heinous crime at convicted and affirmed ng Korte Suprema,” he said during the Friday episode of his show.

“Kung ikukumpara mo homicide, hindi naman heinous crime. ’Yun ang konteksto nu’n pero di ko sinasabi na tama ’yung ginawa.”

He then brushed off the issue and asked everyone to move on.

Written by J M

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