DOJ chief says probe on Davao Death Squad continues

Acting Department of Justice Secretary Emmanuel Cagas on Tuesday said that the investigations on the infamous Davao Death Squad being linked to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte continues.

Caparas said that the DOJ's probe on the vigilante group is still "taking place" and that the agency was taking the matter "seriously."

"It was brought to the DOJ’s attention last year. It remains in the radar. There are agencies actively looking at that," Caparas said.

Former DOJ secretary Leila de Lima, who is now running for senator, had revealed last year that a former member of the death squad was placed under the goverbnment's Witness Protection Program.

De Lima said that the witness claimed that Duterte ordered killings in Davao City perpetrated by the death squad.

Asked what is taking investigators too long to come up with findings, Caparas said: "There are matters kasi na may lead ka tapos mawawala tapos mabubuhay ulit."

Caparas added that "until I read the [investigation] report," he cannot necessarily say whether or not there has been a "breakthrough" in the investigation.

The camp of Duterte has yet to issue a statement on Caparas' announcement.

The tough-talking Duterte has openly proclaimed that killing criminals would be part of his administration's battle against criminality if he wins the presidency. The mayor, who had admitted to killing three criminals in the past, vowed to end criminality in the Philippines within first three to six months of his presidency.

Duterte, however, denied that he committed extrajudicial killings.

Human rights groups have blamed the Davao Death Squad for the extrajudicial deaths of some 1,000 crime suspects in Davao City since the 1990s.

Some sectors have appealed for the next administration to ensure that the investigations on the death squad will continue.

Litigation lawyer Raymond Fortun and former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez had earlier issued their views on the matter, amid lingering criticisms hurled against Duterte, the frontrunner in presidential preference surveys.

In an apparent swipe at Duterte, Fortun in a post on his Facebook account stressed that "change" does not have to be bloody and should not entail constitutional violations.

"Does your definition of 'pagbabago' mean the extra-judicial killing of perceived bad people in violation of their Constitutional right to due process?," he said.

"Have we not learned our lesson from martial law? Bawal na nga martial law dito, but you want to install someone into power who OPENLY says 'papatayin ko pag di sumunod'?," he added.

Fortun said Duterte would "need more than a catchy election phrase" to get his vote.

Duterte has assured that he will not declare martial law if he wins the presidential race.

Valdez, meanwhile, said extrajudicial killings are "criminal acts which cannot be justified. States that allow it as a state policy are liable under international law."

Valdez said US courts have jurisdiction to hold heads of states liable under the US Alien Torture Act, citing former President Ferdinand Marcos as having been ordered to pay billions in damages to human rights victims during the Martial Law years.

Valdez, who is also chairman emeritus of the Philippine Association of Law Schools, emphasized that the investigation to be launched on extrajudicial killings should be “non-political.”

“With the political environment, an independent commission is in order,” Valdez said, adding that an independent body composed of members of the academe are best suited to  handle the probe because they “may be the least politicized."

Valdez proposed an independent body composed of academicians should lead the probe on DDS and other extrajudicial killings, while Fortun said a probe by the DOJ would suffice. —ALG, GMA News