Duterte not cleared on Davao extrajudicial killings, says CHR

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. ALBERT ALCAIN/Presidential Photo

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday rejected Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar’s claim that it had cleared President Duterte of involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao when he was mayor of the city.

The CHR reminded Malacañang that it had forwarded a resolution dated June 28, 2012, to the Office of the Ombudsman recommending the investigation of then Davao Mayor Duterte for possible liability for tolerating numerous extrajudicial killings of alleged criminal suspects.

“The commission did not clear the former mayor of Davao City of extrajudicial killings and his alleged involvement in the Davao Death Squad (DDS),” it said.

“Our previous investigation showed no serious efforts were undertaken to address the killings at the time,” it added.

The CHR said its investigation of the DDS was going on.

“The commission is pursuing cases as leads arise, including the revelation of SPO3 Arthur Lascañas on Tuesday,” it added, referring to the former police officer’s confession on Monday that Mr. Duterte paid him and the DDS to kill criminal suspects and opponents when he was mayor of Davao.

The same CHR task force investigating the extrajudicial killings perpetrated under the Duterte administration’s war on drugs is investigating the Davao killings.