DUTERTE with members of the religious organization headed by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in Hong Kong. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
DAVAO CITY—Go ahead, sue me.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had this message for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, reacting to reports that De Lima is preparing to sue the mayor for extrajudicial killings in the city perpetrated by the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).
But Duterte warned De Lima against fabricating evidence.
He said he wants to see the supposed witness, purportedly a member of DDS, testify in court.
“As long as they’re not fabricating their evidence,” he said.
De Lima told reporters in Manila that the self-confessed DDS hitman had identified the personalities who are behind the killings. The witness
alleged that it was Duterte who ordered the killings, according to De Lima.
“We have names and there are also names of the victims,” De Lima was quoted as saying.
De Lima said the witness had already executed an affidavit, which is now being validated by the National Bureau of Investigation.
Duterte insisted he had no hand in the supposed DDS killings.
“I do not talk to criminals,” said the mayor. “Ask the DDS to testify,” he said.
While denying he ordered the execution of criminals here, Duterte admitted that he gave direct orders to the local police to take down criminals “only if their lives are in danger or if they fight back.”
“You don’t kill a person lying or kneeling down. You can only do that if your life is in danger,” said Duterte.
He also reiterated that while he has the Davao Development System, which is also known as DDS, he had no links with the other DDS blamed for killing over 1,000 suspected criminals and offenders here.
He said the other DDS was the anti-communist Alsa Masa’s answer to the activities of the New People’s Army’s Special Partisan Unit (SPARU).
“She (De Lima) does not know the history. DDS was created by the Alsa Masa movement to counter the SPARU here,” Duterte said.
“If you are referring to a squad, I am not involved in that. I never ordered the killing of anybody,” he said.
Duterte is being touted as a presidential candidate with his popularity ratings soaring.
But he continues to play coy about running for President next year, saying he doesn’t have the funds to spend for a national campaign. Germelina Lacorte with a report from Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao