THE DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) insisted that there is no organized shadowy group whose sole purpose is to kill drug suspects.
This was the response of DCPO spokesperson Captain Hazel Tuazon when asked about the existence of the Davao Death Squad.
“The Davao City Police Office, under the command of Police Colonel Hansel Marantan, has no such groups that engage in killing,” Tuazon said.
“However, the DCPO is open to any investigation regarding our campaign against illegal drugs, as we have continued our buy-bust operations,” she added.
“We are also grateful to the community for their support, and we will investigate reports received from the public. If the reports are credible, a buy-bust operation will be conducted,” she said.
When asked for DCPO’s reaction to former senator Leila De Lima’s allegations of police involvement during the drug war hearing on Oct. 28, she said, “With regards to the statement of Senator De Lima we can’t comment but we assure Davaoeños that the DCPO will not be affected by that.”
She said the police are committed to fulfilling their duties to protect the public from criminal elements.
On Monday’s hearing, former President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that he once maintained a death squad of seven “gangsters” to deal with criminals when he was the Davao City mayor.
“I can confess now if you want,” Duterte said. “I had a death squad of seven but they were not policemen.”
“I’ll ask a gangster to kill somebody,” Duterte said. “If you will not kill [that person], I will kill you now.”
“Davao City is accustomed to a peaceful environment, and illegal drugs are not tolerated here. The Davao City Police Office will not be deterred by any issues raised against us; we are committed to our role in protecting the city, especially the youth who are often exploited in drug trafficking,” she continued.
“We also ask for the community’s help in maintaining our accomplishments. While we cannot completely eradicate illegal drugs, we aim to minimize their presence and ensure that suspects are arrested,” she concluded.
On Monday’s drug war hearing, Senator Jinggoy Estrada then asked Duterte, “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… 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?
Senator Koko Pimentel then stated, “We don’t need to dismiss what was said; that was the mayor’s perspective.”
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.”
Photo courtesy of Rhoda Grace Saron
