MANILA, Philippines – Former president Rodrigo Duterte told the Philippine Senate on Monday, October 28, that he had ordered police under him to “encourage” suspects to fight back so that cops can have an excuse to kill them.
Under oath, the 79-year-old former chief executive said: “Ang sinabi ko ganito, prangkahan tayo, encourage the criminals to fight, encourage them to draw their guns. ‘Yan ang instruction ko, encourage them – lumaban, pagka lumaban, patayin ninyo para matapos na ang problema ko sa siyudad ko.”
(What I said is this, let’s be frank, I said encourage the criminal to fight, encourage them to draw their guns. That was my instruction, encourage them to fight, and if they fight, then kill them so my problem in my city is done.)
Duterte said this during an interpellation where he was being asked about the existence of the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS), a long-notorious squad supposedly made up of Davao City police that allegedly assassinates crime suspects and personal enemies alike.
Duterte initially said that there was no such thing as the DDS. Former senator Leila De Lima, the human rights chairperson who investigated the DDS, pointed out that there are accounts and testimonies to prove the existence of the DDS.
Duterte, in response, said all the police generals in the Senate session hall all led death squads precisely because they killed in the line of duty. The police generals in the room Duterte was referring to were Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa; former police chiefs Archie Gamboa, Vicente Danao, and Debold Sinas; former drugs board chairperson Catalino Cuy, and current major general Romeo Caramat.
“‘Yung isang senador diyan, si Senator Dela Rosa, death squad din ‘yan because they were police directors handling, controlling crimes in the city. Kapag sinabi mong death squad, it’s a very loose term. Lahat ito, si Cuy, si Danao ayan o nagdadasal kasalanan niya siguro, ilan ba pinatay mo,” said Duterte.
(That senator, Senator Dela Rosa, he’s also part of the death squad because they were police directors handling, controlling crimes in the city. When you say death squad, it’s a very loose term. All of these men — Cuy, even Danao who’s now praying, maybe that’s his sin — how many did you kill?)
Further to the hearing, Duterte even said that he has a death squad different from the police squads.
“I can make the confession now if you want…. Meron akong death squad, pero hindi ang mga pulis. Sila rin ang mga gangster, ‘yung isang gangster utusan ko, kung hindi mo patayin ‘yan, patayin kita ngayon,” said Duterte.
(I have my own death squad, but it’s not the police. It’s the gangsters, I would order the gangster and tell him — if you don’t kill, I will kill you now.)
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III interjected to ask Duterte to say his statement one more time. “Salitang diretso (straight talk),” Pimentel said, which means he wants Duterte to be serious.
“Hindi naman death squad, basta alam ng tao sa Davao na nandiyan ako, at nagkamali ka at you commit a heinous crime at walang mapuntahan ang agrabyado, ako…” Duterte said, adding that he would reserve some more details for the next hearing.
(Not really a death squad, just that people of Davao know I am there, if you commit a mistake and you commit a heinous crime, and you can’t go anywhere, I am here.)
It’s a clear confirmation – De Lima
Danao was quick to resort to the usual defense – Duterte is just joking.
“I think he’s just joking, sir, pero kagaya nga po ng sinabi ng ating mayor, in my stint of almost three years as city director-Davao wala po talagang sinabing patayin mo ‘yan (in my stint of almost three years as city director of Davao, the mayor really did not say kill). It’s just a matter of taking things in your hands,” said Danao, who was Duterte’s last chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) before he stepped down from office.
Danao and Dela Rosa allegedly led their own squads of assassins, said the affidavit of self-proclaimed hitman Arturo Lascañas, who now has been given limited immunity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is investigating both DDS and drug war killings for alleged crimes against humanity.
Dela Rosa, for his part, said the media coined the term DDS whenever it reported on killings in Davao City.
Duterte’s statement that he had ordered policemen to induce suspects to fight back so they can die with a legal cover went almost unchallenged in the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, at least as of writing. It was opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros who registered her dissent, asking Duterte one more time if he really meant what he said.
“Yes,” said Duterte.
“Para masabing nanlaban (so it can be declared as a case of resisting arrest)?” asked Hontiveros.
“Correct,” said Duterte.
Hontiveros, visibly disappointed, said: “It is very incorrect if I may say as a civilian.”
Duterte cut her off, saying: “That’s your view, hindi ka dumaan pagka-mayor, pagka-prosecutor. Alam ko ang trabaho ko. Hindi ka nagdala ng siyudad, you never had the chance to solve the problem of the community.” (You did not serve as a mayor, you did not serve as a prosecutor. I know my job. You didn’t lead a city, you never had the chance to solve the problem of the community.)
“Kung pabalikin ako, gagawin ko ulit ‘yan, doblado pa (If I were to go back to service, I’ll do it again, twice over),” said Duterte, earning a round of applause from his supporters who cheered his statements from the gallery of the Senate session hall. They were warned that a repetition of such act would get them ejected from the session hall.
De Lima said this was effectively confirmation from Duterte himself that the DDS existed. “These are very clear — Davao Death Squad to liquidate criminals and suspected criminals, inducing, encouraging, and prodding people to kill, directly or indirectly is not part of the job of an executive official, whether it’s mayor or president,” said De Lima.
Hontiveros said these statements are the “bombshell admissions” Duterte made that the nation should not forget.
“You’re correct, but spare the police, investigate me,” said Duterte in Filipino. – Rappler.com
