Duterte: I have a death squad, no police involved

Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday told a Senate inquiry that he had a death squad made up not of police officers but of individuals he called "gangsters."

On the first hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation of the Duterte administration's war on drugs, Duterte indicated that he wanted spared 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," Duterte said.

"Meron akong death squad pero hindi ‘yung mga police. Sila rin yung mga gangster," he added.

(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," Duterte said.

(I can order a gangster to kill because if he doesn't, I'd kill him right there and then.)

Duterte said the death squad did not include police officers because they would face suspension if they were involved in a killing, and their families would unjustly suffer.

“Ang pulis na finilean ng kaso, suspended ‘yan. Wala ng pagkain ‘yan. The day that the suspension is issued, ang mga pamilya nila wala ng pera, ang mga bata wala ng pamasahe, hinto lahat. Paralyzed ang pamilya ng polis,” Duterte said.

(A police facing a charge will get suspended and the family will have no money and food. The children have no fare. The family can't do anything.) 

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros asked for further details on the death squad, but Duterte said the people involved are no longer around.

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

Hontiveros then asked for the names of the Duterte death squad members, but Duterte said the names already escaped him.

“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.

Duterte only went as far as saying that the death squad is “organized against criminals.”

“It was a structure against crime and criminals, to fight crime.”

Duterte also said that the seven death squad members were not rewarded for killing people because they were already rich.

“Mayayaman ‘yun. Gusto pumatay ng mga criminal, because they want the business to thrive,” Duterte said.

Asked if a certain Colonel Macasaet is a member of the death squad, Duterte said this person is no longer around.

“Ma'am, alam mo sa totoo lang, mahabang istorya ito. Pero ang problema, Ma'am, patay na yung tao,” he added.

(It is a long story, but the problem is, he is already dead.)

Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma earlier told the House QuadComm that the nationwide anti-drug war of the police is patterned after the Davao model that rewards police officials per killed drug suspect. 

Garma said that the reward ranged from P20,000 to P1 million per killing, and that there is a Davao Death Squad. 

She said she also experienced being granted a monetary reward when she was assigned in Davao City when there was a thief who was killed in a police operation.  —NB, GMA Integrated News