It is for President Rodrigo Duterte, not his “apologists”, to explain to Filipinos what he meant by his recent declaration to ignore human rights and “kill” communist rebels.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said Duterte has yet to clarify what he truly meant with his directive even as the police and military killed nine “crusading activists” nearly instaneously after the chief executive made the declaration.

“Until now, Duterte has neither recanted nor tempered his lethal instruction which may escalate nationwide,” Lagman noted.

However, Sen. Ronald de la Rosa was quick to defend Duterte by stressing that his “kill, kill, kill” order for security forces to exterminate communist rebels was a mere “hyperbole”.

On the other hand, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said there is nothing illegal with Duterte’s statement. He pointed out that killing rebels is legal if there is “military necessity” to do it.

“There is no place for disastrous “hyperbole” when the people’s human rights and civil liberties are at stake,” said Lagman.

“Duterte’s deadly order resulted in the separate but simultaneous extrajudicial killing of nine (9) crusading activists in Calabarzon who were not even combatants,” the veteran lawmaker stressed.

He noted: “Only the President’s apologists are vainly justifying his perilous statement.” Among those killed in the simultaneous raids conducted by joint military and police forces on Sunday March 7, were brothers Puroy and Randy dela Cruz, both members of the Dumagat tribe.

Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat condemned the alleged “murder” of the Dela Cruz brothers, saying that the two victims, like seven others killed last Sunday, were liquidated in a “tokhang-style” police-military operations wherein operatives claim self-defense to justify the slayings.