Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 18) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday admitted he ordered the ambush of former Cebu town mayor Vicente Loot last year. He also expressed his exasperation that the former police general escaped death.

"General Loot, p**** i** mo, nanalo pa ng barangay. In-ambush kita animal ka, buhay pa rin," he said in a speech at Malacañan Palace.

Loot and his family survived an ambush on May 13 at Maya Port in Daanbantayan. His two drivers and the nanny of his grandchild were injured during the attack.

Duterte previously denied his involvement in the ambush. He implicated former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the one who planned the killing.

Related: Unwarranted accusation? Palace says Duterte not serious with Loot, Roxas ambush claim

The President's spokesperson Sal Panelo clarified the possibly incriminating revelation, saying there was confusion in the remark as Duterte is not proficient in Tagalog and more verse in Bisaya.

"What the President intended to say was: 'Inambush ka na, buhay ka pa.' It is silly and absurd to conclude that PRRD is behind the ambush just because he misspeaks the Pilipino language which is not his native tongue or first language," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Panelo added, "Let us be clear and categorical: The President did not order the ambush of Gen. Loot."

In a separate interview, Panelo said the statement was just one of the President's jokes, noting that Duterte can never order the ambush of any individual.

"One, he can never order the ambush of anybody. That's not his style. Kung yung mga personal na kalaban niya hindi niya pinapa-ambush, kahit na anong gawin sa kanya (he does not even order the ambush of his personal enemies)," Panelo said in a chance interview with reporters.

"Pangalawa (second), he's a lawyer, good prosecutor and a good lawyer. So he knows the consequences of whatever statements he makes. Consistent siya sa mga pagbibiro niya, at yung pagkakamali niya sa Filipino ay natural na sa kanya (he's consistent with his jokes and his mistakes in the Filipino language are just natural," the spokesperson added.

In his first year in office, the President tagged Loot as a drug protector. He was also among those implicated by self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa during his testimony at the Senate in 2016. Last year, Loot asked the National Bureau of Investigation to launch a probe on him following drug trade allegations.