PNP to look into Ex-Pres. Duterte’s alleged 'death squad'

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it will look into the alleged "Davao Death Squad" of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, during a Senate hearing into his war on drugs on Monday, admitted having a death squad made up of "gangsters" and not police officers.

“Doon po sa latest revelation, if you monitored po yung statements ng ating dating pangulo, again with due respect sa ating dating pangulo, ay may mga sinasabi siya kini-claim niya na may death squad. Later on, binawi rin po niya,” PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing.

(In his latest revelation, if you monitored the statements of our former president, again with due respect to our former president, he claimed that there was a death squad. Later on, he retracted his statement.) 

“But this will not stop the PNP from pursuing and investigating this case po. And he mentioned some names, tinuturo po niya yung ibang police po. That will be used as lead and basis of the PNP to conduct further investigation,” she added.

(But this will not stop the PNP from pursuing and investigating this case. And he mentioned some names, he was pointing at the other police officers. That will be used as lead and basis of the PNP to conduct further investigation.)

Fajardo said PNP chief Police General Rommel Marbil has instructed his personnel to extract unsolved cases of deaths linked to illegal drugs. 

In the first hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation of the Duterte administration's war on drugs on Monday, Duterte indicated that he wanted to spare the police from liability.

"Ako, makulong sa makulong. I can make the confession now if you want. Talagang niyayari ko pero 'wag mo naman [idamay iyong] pulis, kawawa naman…Meron akong death squad pero hindi ‘yung mga police. Sila rin yung mga gangster," he said.

(I can afford to go to jail. I can make the confession now if you want. I can go after them but spare the police. I have a death squad but it's not made up of police. They are gangsters.)

"Iyong isang gangster, utusan ko, patayin mo yan. Kasi kung hindi mo patayin ‘yan, patayin kita ngayon (I can order a gangster to kill because if he doesn't, I'd kill him right there and then),” he added.

Fajardo said there will be “no sacred cows” if some police officers are found involved in the alleged death squad of Duterte.

When asked about the identity of the members of the Davao Death Squad, Duterte said that he cannot recall their names.

“You know, when I was mayor, 43 years old, [and] I am now 73. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name,” he said.

“Mukhang patay naman sila lahat, Ma’am,” Duterte said. 

(I think all of them are already dead.)

--VAL, GMA Integrated News