Pubdate: Sun, 27 Feb 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
Cited: Philippine National Police http://www.pnp.gov.ph
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Summary+Execution
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Davao+Death+Squad

POLICE CHIEF DENIES CONSPIRING WITH
DAVAO DEATH SQUAD

DAVAO CITY -- Davao City Police Office chief Conrado Laza vehemently
denied the so-called "conspiracy of silence" his office has with the
dreaded vigilante group Davao Death Squad.

Laza was reacting to last week's statement of a member of the council
of leaders of the Coalition Against Summary Executions (Case) saying
the police may know about the perpetrators of the summary killings in
Davao City.

Fr. Amado Picardal believes that there is a "conspiracy of silence in
the city" with regards to the unsolved killings of suspected criminals.

"It is my impression that the police know kung kinsa ang nagapamatay
sa mga suspetsadong kriminal (who are killing those suspected
criminals). In several instances, naa'y mga bag-ong gawas sa prisohan
nga barilon dayon (there are those who are gunned down after they came
out from prison). How would the perpetrator know what time their
target will be released from prison?" Picardal said.

Laza, however, denied that such a conspiracy exist between his office
and the vigilante group.

He said information on the impending release of detainees inside
police precincts is not exclusive to the police authorities alone.

He said such statement coming from Case is just too
presumptuous.

"It's too presumptuous to say that cops are in cahoots with the
killers. The court as well as other people may also have information
on the release of detainees," Laza said.

Meanwhile, Task Force Davao (TFD) chief Eduardo del Rosario said
justice for the victims of summary executions lies not only in the
hands of the authorities but also the relatives of the victims.

He said without the cooperation of the victims' relatives and the
witnesses the case would never prosper in court.

Colonel del Rosario said such is the case of one of the victims whose
family decided to withdraw the charges against the suspect arrested by
the TFD sometime last year.

Laza added that after the charges have been filed in court they no
longer have jurisdiction over it but the government
prosecutors.

Records showed that there are already 383 victims of summary
executions from 1998 up to February 5 this year. BOT
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