DAVAO CITY – Former President Rodrigo Duterte made a startling admission during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation, acknowledging that he encouraged police to provoke suspects into fighting back against law enforcement.
“Ang sinabi ko ganito, prangkahan tayo, encourage the criminals to fight, encourage them to draw their guns. ‘Yan ang instruction ko, encourage them – lumaban, pagka lumaban, patayin ninyo para matapos na ang problema ko sa siyudad ko,” Duterte told the committee.
However, Duterte has repeatedly said he never gave specific order to kill anyone because the police officers are professionals.
At one point, he played his words saying Davao police officers were members of the Davao Death Squad, pointing to Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who served as the Chief of the Philippine National Police during Duterte’s presidency, along with former Philippine National Police chiefs Atty. Archie Gamboa, Vicente Danao, and Debold Sinas.
However, Danao was quick to say Duterte was joking and then Gamboa and Sinas responded that Duterte was joking, with dela Rosa later asserting, “The President was also kidding.”
Duterte remarked, “Yung isang senador diyan, si Senator Dela Rosa, death squad din ‘yan because they were police directors handling crimes in the city. Kapag sinabi mong death squad, it’s a very loose term. Lahat ito, si Cuy, si Danao ayan o nagdadasal, kasalanan niya siguro, ilan ba pinatay mo.”
He clarified, “Meron akong death squad pero hindi mga pulis; sila yong mga gangsters,” revealing this to the Senate Committee on Blue Ribbon.
Despite the gravity of his statements, Duterte did not provide specific cases and instead engaged in a back-and-forth with Senate members, leaving many questions unanswered.
Throughout the hearing, senators struggled to rein in Duterte’s candid remarks. When asked, “Did I tell you, Senator dela Rosa, to kill a person?” Dela Rosa firmly replied, “Never, never, Mr. President.”
Dela Rosa, also said the Davao media coined the term DDS whenever it reported on killings in Davao City.
As the investigation continues, the implications of Duterte’s comments raise further concerns about the controversial anti-drug campaign and its effects on law enforcement practices.
Edith Z Caduaya studied Bachelor of Science in Development Communication at the University of Southern Mindanao.
The chairperson of Mindanao Independent Press Council (MIPC) Inc.
