Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jan 2005
Source: Sunstar Davao (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Sunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1991
Note:  also listed for feedback
Author: Ben O. Tesiorna
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

POLICE EYE DRUG WAR OVER SPATE OF KILLINGS

DAVAO CITY -- Police have theorized that the rush of summary executions 
during the first two weeks of the year, 20 dead as of Wednesday, could have 
been triggered by the "drug war" among small drug dealers in Davao City and 
not the handiwork of the shadowy vigilante group Davao Death Squad.

This has been one of the angles being examined by investigators, police 
regional director Chief Superintendent Simeon Dizon said Thursday.

In Thursday's AFP-PNP Press Corps 11 forum, Dizon said they had observed an 
upsurge in the number of killings after the December 31 raid at the Dumoy 
shabu laboratory.

He said the raid adversely affected the drug supply in the city and the 
rest of the region, adding that there is now a shortage in the supply of 
illegal drugs in the market.

Dizon said this could have resulted to bungled deals between drug dealers 
and their customers that ultimately end up to summary executions.

"Medyo nagsisingilan na kasi ngayon sa baba eh. Yung iba di makapagdeliver 
ng napagusapan nila kaya sila sila na ang nagpapatayan. It's an internal 
affair (among drug dealers) and we are assessing the situation," he said.

Dizon said they expect the series of killing to go on for the next two 
weeks, but he opined the killings would have no adverse effects on the 
economy of the city.

A human rights group meanwhile appealed to Dabawenyos to do something to 
put a stop on the summary executions happening in the city.

Bernie Mondragon, executive director of Kabataan Consortium Inc., blamed 
the Davao Death Squad in the series of killings.

Mondragon said there were more than one hundred persons killed by 
motorcycle-riding gunmen last year and at the start 2005, the death toll 
has already reached 20.

"The Davao Death Squad is intensifying their killing spree of suspected 
drug pushers and criminals at the start of the year 2005 with greater 
audacity and impunity. As of this writing (January 12, 2005) 20 people have 
already been 'salvaged' by vigilantes without an ounce of pity on the 
families the victim left behind," he said in a released statement.

"Ironic but expected, we hear no reactions on the intensified killings from 
government officials nor from civil society groups and the religious 
sector. The public, meanwhile has been very silent and just remain mere 
spectators of murders committed right in their midst," Mondragon said.

He said the "government's apparent lack of political will to solve the 
killings inspired repeated appeals and pronouncements of certain officials 
that tend to justify and encourage salvaging of suspected criminals are by 
far giving license to the vigilantes to continue their killing spree."

"And such actuations are subtle instigations of genocide," Mondragon said.

He said what makes the situation more tragic "is the deafening silence of 
civil society groups and the rest of the sectors of the Davao community."

He said such silence could only mean approval of the majority on the killings.

"However, we believe that most Dabawenyos are against the killings but are 
prevented by intense fear and awe to speak out," Mondragon said.

He then called on the Dabawenyos "to exercise their civility and 
collectively work to allow our legal justice system to operate and demand 
an immediate stop to the summary killings in Davao City."
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