MANILA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte apologized Tuesday to the government and people of South Korea including the wife of a South Korean business executive, who was kidnapped and killed by alleged rouge policemen.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the president also sent his and the Filipino people's condolences and sympathies to the wife of the victim, and assured that the full force of the law would be meted out against those responsible for the kidnap-slaying of the victim.
"We apologize to the South Korean government and people for this irreparable loss. But we commit the full force of the law to ensure that justice is served and not delayed. To the Korean people, please accept our sincerest and deepest regrets," Abella said.
The victim was reportedly serving a fake warrant by the rogue policemen in October last year and had not been heard of since.
Reports said the police had asked for ransom in exchange for the businessman's release but the victim was reportedly killed inside the police general headquarter in Camp Crame.
Abella said the kidnap-slaying is an indication of the depth of corruption within the government system including the police.
He said he is not sure if there is truth to the observation of some sector that the strong support of the president to the police had emboldened the policemen.
But he acknowledged the assessment of some that the incident was proof that there is an existing culture of impunity in the country.
"The culture is there and it was existing even before the president came in. In fact, that's exactly why he came in, to address that particular culture," he said.
Abella reiterated that the president continues to trust Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa who is part of Duterte's team in fighting crime and corruption.
He also branded as "over imaginative" the pronouncement of Senator Leila de Lima that the president is to blame for the incident.
