De Lima: Duterte's reward system 'deeply rooted'

Former Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday claimed that former President Rodrigo Duterte's "reward system," as revealed by police official Royina Garma, for police officials who kill criminal suspects is "deeply rooted."

In a QuadComm probe, de Lima said that Duterte's "Davao model" has been implemented during his long tenure as mayor of the city.

De Lima said that when she investigated the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) during her time as Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson, they discovered that "DDS hitmen" were paid around P15,000 for each killing. Of this, P5,000 went to police handlers, and P10,000 was split among the assassins.

The DDS was supposedly composed of rebel returnees and Philippine National Police (PNP) officers.

“Their safehouse was located inside the Napolcom (National Police Commission) compound in Brgy. San Pedro, Davao. After the summary execution of targeted victims, the DDS members regrouped at their safehouse and divide the reward,” de Lima said.

“Duterte sometimes personally gave out the kill orders and the reward money directly to the assassins themselves,” she added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Duterte's camp for comment but they have yet to reply as of posting time. 

HCIS

From 2001 to 2016, de Lima said the DDS was renamed to a more official sounding unit—the Heinous Crimes Investigation Section (HCIS)—under the Davao City Police Office.

De Lima said during this period, rewards increased between P13,000 to P15,000 per suspect killed, and that the payment was divided, with P3,000 to P5,000 going to police handlers and the rest split among the civilian “abanteros” or hitmen, who were typically rebel returnees.

“A team of one PNP handler and three civilian ‘abanteros’ was given an average of three targets every month,” De Lima said.

There have been previous testimonies of the supposed DDS from supposed ex-members Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas, who came out during previous Senate investigations.

Food and greetings

Meanwhile, Duterte, just last week, again denied that a reward system was implemented during his administration.

Duterte said in an interview that the only reward he gives to the police who successfully complete their mission is food and greetings. 

“‘Yang sinasabi nilang reward, walang reward ‘yan. Hindi ako magbibigay ng reward,” he said told Sonshine Media Network International. 

(There was no reward. I will never give a reward.) 

“Ang pinakaano [ng mga pulis] sa akin is ‘pag mission accomplished, yayain ko sila sa restaurant, magkain kami and I congratulate them. Tsaka palainom ang pulis. Bigyan mo ng dalawang boteng scotch…hindi ‘yan tatanggap ng pera. Nahihiya ‘yan,” he added.

(If their mission is accomplished, I treat the police to the restaurant and I congratulate them. Knowing cops, they are heavy drinkers. You just give them two bottles of scotch, and they will never accept any money.) 

He also said that he never ordered the police force to kill anyone. 

“Hindi ko sinasabi na sinadya kong pinatay (I really didn’t mean to kill). Sabi ko nga sa mga sundalo, give them the chance to fight so that if they fight, then, you would be justified in killing them and that is one problem solved for the day. Totoo ‘yan (That’s true),” the former chief executive said. 

—VAL, GMA Integrated News