LAWMAKERS participating in the Senate hearing on Tuesday still failed to grasp what former President Rodrigo Duterte meant when he warned criminals, “I will kill you,” if they did not change their ways.
The President acknowledged that there were killings during the drug war but insisted they were not state-sponsored killings.
When Senator Jinggoy Estrada asked how he assessed his campaign against illegal drugs during his presidency, Duterte replied, “Mr. Senator, it is a continuing problem for the country and the entire world. The drug problem is a serious, pernicious, and violent ailment that the country is facing, both during my time and that of previous presidents.”
He continued, “You may not have liked my approach—I’m not addressing you personally, but perhaps the country did not appreciate it. However, that was my style. I tried to do the best I could. If I fell short, I ask for patience. The solution during my time was a call of duty for the president. If I were president, I would be responsible. I warned everyone: ‘Stop using drugs; drop it because we will have problems.'”
He elaborated, “If we meet on a street corner and I am holding drugs, that becomes a problem. This leads to violence, but it was not state-sponsored killing.”
“There was never an official order to the police or military to kill,” he added. “Senator Dela Rosa is here; I never said that. As a lawyer, I instructed police academy trainees that the elements of self-defense apply when trying to arrest someone. The police must arrest and overcome resistance to take a criminal to the station and book them.”
Duterte expressed sympathy for the police, stating, “You can’t just tell them to drop their guns and hope for compliance. This is a confrontation, and if the other person is armed, it can lead to death or injury.”
Estrada then asked, “Mr. President, if I may, I watched you on TV before I became a senator when you said, ‘I will wipe you out, I will kill you.’ What did you mean? Who were you referring to? Was it the users and pushers of illegal drugs?”
Duterte responded, “Yes, Sir. All robbers and kidnappers.”
Estrada followed up, “And not just those involved in drugs?”
Duterte clarified, “Not just drug-related, Sir. When I was mayor, I fought all criminals, except for estafa; I had no concern for those check scams. In Mindanao, there are many kidnappers and lawless elements. When they go on a rampage, they take over municipalities and hold them hostage, robbing banks while the police cannot act for fear of civilian casualties.”
Estrada then asked, “Regarding your statement about ‘wiping them out,’ did this lead to the many killings we have seen, Mr. President?”
“Literally, yes!” Duterte replied.
Estrada continued, “But you did not order the former chiefs of police or the PNP to kill?”
“That was just a warning, a story,” Duterte said.
Estrada asked, “Just gossip?”
“You know, as a mayor or president, if you say, ‘Stop that, it’s illegal,’ nothing will change. If you say, ‘Stop or I will kill you,’ and they don’t comply, the police will step in. I instructed the police, ‘If someone is armed, kill them; it’s one less criminal to deal with.’ The same goes for pushers,” Duterte explained.
Estrada then inquired, “As mayor of Davao, did you confirm the existence of the ‘Davao Death Squad?'”
“No, Sir,” Duterte answered.
Estrada responded, “So there was no Davao Death Squad? What about the investigation by former Senator De Lima when she was chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights?”
De Lima replied, “Yes, that was the focus.”
Estrada pointed out, “The former President does not confirm the existence of the Davao Death Squad.”
De Lima added, “That has been his position in public inquiries—that there was no such thing as the DDS. However, there are witnesses who claim it exists. The term may not be correct or explicitly refer to the Davao Death Squad.”
Estrada then asked, “Who coined the term ‘Davao Death Squad’?”
De Lima replied, “I think it was the media and certain groups in the private sector.”
Estrada continued, “But it was not the CHR, which you headed?”
De Lima responded, “We recognized it as the Davao Death Squad because of various reports, but the term did not originate from us. What was clear was that there was a group of assassins, some of whom were part of the Davao City police, as well as other individuals with respective handlers, including Mr. Matobato and Lascañas.”
Duterte interjected, “Senator, may I interject? All those on my right side—these police chiefs and directors—were part of the squad.”
Estrada replied, “I thought there was no existence.”
Duterte continued, “That’s the police’s job. You can’t literally call them a squad. One senator here, Senator Dela Rosa, also dealt with controlling crime in the city.”
He emphasized, “When you say ‘death squad,’ it’s a loose term. All these individuals, including Cuy and Danao, were involved. If they had orders to kill, I would encourage criminals to fight back. If they resist, then it’s ‘kill or be killed.'”
“Nung nag Presidente ako ganun din sa command conference. Diyan sa Malacañan, yan ang utos ko bakit ko pagbigyan pag criminal they go after innocent people, robbing. Mabuti nalang sana kung aakyat ng bahay. Mayor ako matagal, aakyat ng bahay, magnakaw, i-rape yung bata i-rape yung babae tapos papatayin. Kung ikaw ang mayor, how do you deal with the problem? Ano.kaya Ang tingin ninyo? I’m sorry to tell you. I’m sorry to express to the nation unforgiving ako, hardliner,” Duterte concluded.
Senator Koko Pimentel then stated, “We don’t need to dismiss what was said; that was the mayor’s perspective.”
Pimentel asked retired generals Gamboa, Cuy, Danao, Sinas, and Caramat if they had served as police chiefs in Davao.
Danao and Cuy answered yes.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa interjected, saying, “Mr. Chair, the term ‘DDS’ may have been invented by the media. When someone was killed, they immediately called it a Davao Death Squad incident. You, the media, propagated that term.”
Dela Rosa clarified, “Just this weekend, I was interviewed by the media in Davao, and I told them that you guys invented the term ‘Davao Death Squad.’ However, a media representative corrected me, saying the term arose because of a murder with a placard identifying it as a Davao Death Squad killing. Thus, it’s accurate to say you propagated the term, not invented it. If someone is killed, it’s quickly labeled as a Davao Death Squad incident, even if the cause was something as simple as jealousy or a debt.”
