MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte admitted Tuesday that he had ordered the ambush of former Daanbantayan, Cebu, Mayor Vicente Loot.

“Loot, p… mo, nanalo pa na mayor. Inambush kita, animal ka, buhay pa rin!” Duterte said at the oath-taking of newly appointed government officials in Malacañang.

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Loot and his family survived an ambush at a wharf in Daanbatayan in May 2018.

READ: Loot ambush

Loot, a former police general, was one of the five “narco generals” Duterte named in 2016. The five denied Duterte’s allegations.

In December last year, Duterte denied having a hand in the ambush of Loot and pointed to his 2016 presidential elections rival and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the one who ordered the assault.

“Loot was ambushed twice but could not be killed. I did not order the ambush. It was Roxas. Roxas ordered his ambush, not me,” Duterte said.

READ: Duterte: Roxas ordered ambush of police aide

But Malacañang said Duterte was just “joking” when he accused Roxas of allegedly ordering Loot’s ambush.

READ: Duterte ambush joke

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