Duterte admits to having ‘death squad,’ later insists it’s not one

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee secretary administers the oath of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Monday, October 28, 2024 before he begins his testimony before the subcommittee investigating motu proprio the alleged extra-judicial killings during his administration. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Minutes after saying that several Philippine National Police (PNP) chiefs during his term were heads of death squads, former President Rodrigo Duterte said that he formed a death squad in Davao made up of gangsters that would go after those who commit heinous crimes.

At the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on Monday, Duterte was asked by panel presiding officer and Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada about the existence of a Davao Death Squad (DDS), which he earlier denied.

Eventually, Duterte confessed to assembling a seven-man hit squad when he was Davao City mayor, saying that he did not tap police officers as they might be in a quandary if they got suspended for operations they conducted.

“I can make the confession now if you want, talagang niyayari ko, pero ‘wag mo namang (idamay) ang mga pulis, kawawa naman ‘yan. Meron akong death squad, death squad, pito, pero hindi ‘yang mga pulis.  Sila rin ‘yong mga gangster.  ‘Yong isang gangster uutusan ko.  Patayin mo ‘yan; kung hindi mo patayin ‘yan, patayin kita ngayon,” Duterte said.

(I can make the confession now if you want. I’m really doing it, but don’t involve the police; they’re poor victims. I have a death squad—seven men—but they’re not police. They’re gangsters. I’ll tell one gangster, Kill him; if you don’t kill him, I’ll kill you now.)

“Bakit mo i-sakripisyo ‘yan sila?  Alam mo sir ganito ah, buti na lang nandito, if you’d give me time.  Ang pulis sir, kawawa.  Hindi mo alam kapag […] ang pulis na-file ng kaso, suspended ‘yan, wala nang pagkain ‘yan sa the day that the suspension is issued, that day ang pulis wala nang pagkain, ang mga pamilya nila, wala nang pera, ang mga bata wala nang pamasahe, hinto lahat, paralyzed ang pamilya ng pulis.  Hindi ninyo alam ‘yan,” he added.

(Why would you sacrifice them? You know, sir, good thing I’m here, if you’d give me time. The police, sir, are pitiful. You don’t understand that when a police officer is charged, they get suspended, and on that day, they have no food. Their families have no money, the kids have no fare; everything stops. The police family is paralyzed. You don’t know that.)

When Pimentel eventually asked if Duterte meant that he had a death squad, the former president said that it was not like that.  However, he said it was a system where aggrieved individuals come to him for help.

“So ibig niyong sabihin, gusto niyong proteksyunan ‘yong pulis, ayaw niyo silang gamitin sa, maiipit sila kasi kung masuspend sila kuwawa ‘yong tao, tapos nabanggit ninyo may sarili kayong hit squad?  Is that what you’re trying to tell us?” Pimentel asked.

(So what you mean is, you want to protect the police, you don’t want to use them because they might get caught up in it, and if they get suspended, they’re the ones who suffer, yet you mentioned you have your own hit squad? Is that what you’re trying to say?)

“Hindi naman death squad.  Basta alam ng tao sa Davao na nandyan ako at magkamali ka at you commit a heinous crime, at walang mapuntahan ‘yong agrabyado,” Duterte said.  “When I am called for another investigation sir, sabihin ko.”

(It’s not really a death squad. The people in Davao just know that I’m here if you make a mistake and commit a heinous crime, and the aggrieved person has nowhere to turn. When I’m called for another investigation, sir, I’ll say it.)

Duterte, however, maintained that thousands of people died while he was in Davao City, noting that only criminals died.

“Maraming namatay sir, marami talaga, thousands I would say from no’ng naging mayor ako.  Marami, ito ‘yan sila, nandito ‘yan sila lahat and they would tell you, si (retired police Lt. Gen. Vicente) Danao, si (ret. police Maj. Gen. Catalino) Cuy, ito si Senator Bato (Ronald dela Rosa), maraming namatay pero ang namatay sir mga kriminal,” Duterte said.

(Many died, sir, really many—thousands, I would say, since I became mayor. So many; those who are here can tell you. Danao, Cuy, and Senator dela Rosa are here. Many died, but the ones who died, sir, were criminals.)

“Alam mo kasi ang Davao is a crossroads kasi ang unang nag-bloom sa Mindanao, tiga roon ka man sir, ang Davao.  Kaya saan ‘yong progressive saka ‘yong pera, negosyo, nandoon din ang kriminal,” he added.

(You see, Davao is a crossroads because it was the first to bloom in Mindanao, no matter where you come from, sir; it’s Davao. That’s where the progress, money, and business are, and that’s also where the criminals are.)

Earlier, Duterte said that several of his PNP chiefs were heads of death squads, claiming that it was part of their jobs.

According to the former president, the term ‘death squad’ was loosely used, but all the past PNP chiefs present at the Senate briefing — dela Rosa, Danao, retired Gen. Archie Gamboa, and retired Gen. Debold Sinas — were heads of death squads.

However, Duterte clarified that he had not ordered the summary killing of anyone.  Instead, he said his directive was to encourage suspects to fight so that they could be killed.

The Senate blue ribbon panel started its investigation on the drug war after dela Rosa and Senator Bong Go filed resolutions on the matter.  The probe came after several revelations were made during the House of Representatives quad committee hearings, like the existence of a rewards system in the drug war, where cops who kill drug suspects are rewarded.

READ: Garma claims DDS’ existence ‘common knowledge’ among cops

During the hearings of the quad committee, retired police colonel Royina Garma also admitted that the DDS exists and that it was common knowledge among police officials in Davao City.