Malou Loot on Duterte’s ambush statement: Let the President be

CEBU CITY, Philippines— “Let us have peace.”

This was the appeal of former Daanbantayan mayor Maria Luisa “Malou” Loot amidst the admission of President Rodrigo Duterte that he was behind the attempted ambush of then Mayor Vicente Loot in May 2018.

Read: Duterte says he ordered ambush of Mayor Loot

Malou is the wife of Vicente Loot, the Retired Police General and former Daanbantayan mayor who was accused by the President of being a narco general in 2016.

In a phone interview with CDN Digital, Malou said she does not want to ride on the issue anymore as it would “not lead them anywhere.”

“Pasagdi na lang na ang presidente kay moingon ra man sad na nga joke ra na ang iyaha. Ayaw na lang na padak-a uy. Kapoy baya kau wa baya tay dag-anan kung motubag ta sa presidente,” Malou said. 

(Let the president be because he would just say that he is just kidding anyway. Let us not make a big deal out of this because we are no match if we talk back to the president.)

Read: Convoy of Cebu mayor on Duterte drug list ambushed

Malou said that as a mother, all she asks for her family now is safety and peace, especially that both she and her husband are not in government service anymore.

General Loot, who was in his first term as mayor when he was tagged as a narco general, did not seek re-election in the May 2019 polls. 

Malou’s son, former board member Sun Shimura, has taken his place as town mayor.

In a report of Inquirer.net published on Tuesday evening, September 17, the President was quoted admitting that he was behind the ambush against Loot.

“Loot, p… mo, nanalo pa na mayor. Inambush kita, animal ka, buhay pa rin!” Duterte said while speaking during the oathtaking of new government officials at the Palace.

In May 2018, General Loot and his family survived an ambush at the Maya Wharf in Daanbantayan. The Loot couple was with their children, grandchildren and aides when the incident happened.

Although then mayor Vic Loot and his family were left unscathed, a nanny and a driver bodyguard was wounded in the attack.

In December 2018, though, President Duterte tagged former Senator and 2016 Presidential candidate Mar Roxas as the one behind Loot’s ambush.

Presidential chief legal counsel and spokesman Salvador Panelo, however, said that the president was only joking in that statement.

“Wa man gud tay mahimo because the president is the president. Bawion man sad dayon na ni (Presidential spokesperson Salvador) Panelo nga joke ra so di na lang ta mopatol ana kay modako na pod,” Malou said.

(We can’t do anything about that because the president is the president. Panelo is just going to say it is a joke so let’s not react to that because it so it won’t become a big issue.)

Malou, meanwhile, said that over a year after the ambush, the police has still not given them any update on the progress of their investigation.

Amid the allegation that her husband is involved in the drug trade,  Malou said they would prefer to answer them in court.

“Naa man ta sa Pilipinas ug naa man tau demokrasya. Naa man tay proseso ug kung naay kaso, atong tubagon nga mogamit pod tag abogado,” Malou said.

(We’re in the Philippines and we have democracy. We have a process so of there is a case, we will answer it with our lawyers.) /bmjo