’Kill the rich’ remark clarified

The Palace on Sunday downplayed the threat of President Rodrigo Duterte to kill all “crazy” and “rich” people, saying “graphic” language was merely part of his leadership style.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said local and foreign investors should not worry about the latest remark of the President, adding it was a warning to the rich not to take advantage of the people  

“By this time, we know what the President meant. When he said ‘Kill the crazy rich,’ what he meant was ‘Kill the desires of the rich to steal money from the taxpayers, from the consumers,’” Panelo said in a radio interview.

“He means do not violate the law. We should follow the law. Unlike before that you can violate the law if you are linked with somebody powerful and influential.”

In his speech Thursday night in Leyte, Duterte told his audience of former rebels to just wait for his “signal” to kill “rich” and “crazy” people in the country.

“There are rich people in the Philippines who are crazy. They’re the ones whom we should kill. Just wait for my go signal,” Duterte said as he slammed the businessmen involved in water concession agreements with the government whom he called “thieves.”

Panelo defended Duterte, saying “It should not be taken literally. You know the President. He’s graphic. It was part of his style.”

“[I]t was not just a figure of speech. It was to stress the importance of what he’s saying.” 

Panelo also said the rich should not worry if they had not done anything unfair to the poor.

“If you have not done anything bad to others, you should not worry about your safety. Nobody will harm you,” Panelo said.

In his speeches, Duterte has been criticizing the Ayala group and business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, whom he called “oligarchs” over the 1997 water concession agreement with the government, which he said contained “onerous” provisions.

Fernando Zobel de Ayala and Manuel V. Pangilinan head the major the concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad, respectively.

Duterte had earlier ordered the Department of Justice to draft new contracts with the water firms without the “onerous” provisions. If the two companies refused to accept the new contracts, Duterte said, he would takeover their operations and nationalize the distribution of water.

The contracts were set to expire in 2022 after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System canceled the extension of the agreement that was supposed to be until 2037.

Aside from the water deal, the LRT1 concession agreement and the UP Ayala Technohub lease contract were also under scrutiny of the administration upon the orders of Duterte.