Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told the Senate that he kept a seven-member “death squad” of hitmen who carried out his orders to kill other criminals when he was the mayor of Davao City.

Rodrigo Duterte confessed under oath during a Senate hearing probing him on the existence of the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) and the drug war on Monday, October 28. 

He also mentioned that he ordered police to “encourage” suspects to “fight back” and “draw guns” so authorities have a reason to kill them.

“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.” Duterte said.

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However, Rodrigo Duterte said that the Davao Death Squad doesn’t exist. Former Senator Leila de Lima, the human rights chairperson who investigated the DDS, pointed out that accounts and testimonies prove that the group exists.

In response, Duterte said that all of the police generals in the Senate session hall led death squads because they were killed in the line of duty. 

The police generals who were in the session hall that Duterte were 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.

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The former president also revealed that he had a different death squad 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.

When Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III asked Rodrigo Duterte to say his statement one more time, Duterte replied, “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 then added that he would reserve the rest of the details for the next hearing.

Sources: (1), (2)

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