Pubdate: Mon, 26 Sep 2005
Source: Manila Bulletin (The Philippines)
Contact:  http://www.mb.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/906
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Rodrigo+Duterte (Rodrigo Duterte)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Summary+Execution (Summary Execution)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Davao+Death+Squad (Davao Death Squad)

DUTERTE WELCOMES NBI PROBE ON VIGILANTE KILLINGS IN DAVAO

DAVAO CITY (PNA) - Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has welcomed the order of the
Justice Department directing the National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) to investigate the unsolved series of summary executions of
suspected criminals in the city.

Duterte, who was linked by the US State Department to the killings,
said the directive of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales could settle the
speculations once and for all.

"It's good, it's good so that the truth will come out," the mayor
said.

Duterte reminded the journalists about his announcement earlier that
there were groups that kill for a fee operating in the region.

According to the mayor, he himself requested the NBI to conduct the
investigation and that he has directed the Davao City Police Office to
furnish the NBI with the result of their preliminary findings on the
series of killings in the city so that it could help the bureau to
solve the crime.

As of August this year, more than 100 suspected drug pushers and
thieves had been killed in Davao City by the shadowy group dubbed as
the Davao Death Squad (DDS).

But there were also some prominent personalities, including a lawyer,
a former councilor and an official of the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) who were killed by gunmen.

Lawyer Reuel Dalguntas and his driver, Gary Hofilena, were ambushed by
two motorcycle-riding gunmen at Panacan, this city while they were on
their way to downtown Davao to attend to an agrarian reform case hearing.

Former Councilor Rene Galope was shot dead near his residence at SM
Village, Bangkal, Davao City,while DENR forest protection officer
Isidro dela Pena was killed on his way to his office.

However, the killers of Dalguntas, Galope and Dela Pena have been
arrested.

Police investigations showed that the killers were members of a
guns-for-hire syndicate operating in Region XI.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales directed the NBI to investigate the
unsolved summary killings after the US State Department noted the
unsolved killings in Davao City and even linked Duterte to the Davao
Death Squad. 
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