Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for an independent investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte a day after a Senate witness claiming to be a member of the Davao Death Squad accused him of ordering the killings of some 1,000 criminals and opponents.
The New York-based human rights group issued a statement on Friday saying that Edgar Matobato’s testimonies warrant an independent investigation that should be conducted by the United Nations.
HRW called Matobato’s testimonies as “very serious allegations” that require an independent probe.
“President Duterte can’t be expected to investigate himself, so it is crucial that the United Nations is called in to lead such an effort. Otherwise, Filipinos may never know if the president was directly responsible for extrajudicial killings,” said HRW Asia Director Brad Adams.
HRW also wrote how there has been over 2,000 people killed since Duterte took office on June 30. The group noted how the police blamed the high death toll on suspects “who resisted arrest and shot at police officers.”
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The international human rights group published a report in 2009 called “You Can Die Any Time: Death Squad Killings in Mindanao.” It tells how police and local officials are involved in death squad killings in Davao City under Duterte’s rule as mayor.
The group also published yet another report in 2014 called “’One Shot to the Head’: Death Squad Killings in Tagum City, Philippines.” It documents how the police are involved in what seemed to be a method similar to the extrajudicial killings in Davao City.
Wilnor Papa, Amnesty International’s campaign officer for their Manila Office, was quoted in a report by Agence France-Presse, saying that the problem of impunity did not stop because of previous administrations’ failure to prosecute Duterte.
“We are now seeing riding-in-tandem like those that prowled Davao streets in the late 1990s. The targets are not only drug syndicates. Even purse snatchers use them and they can target basically anyone,” he said.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman urged Duterte to form a commission of retired justices to identify the principals, perpetrators, and victims of the vigilante squad.
“The inquiry must not be left to politicians whose motives could always be suspect despite their avowal of impartiality,” Lagman said.
Sources: (hrw.org, gmanetwork.com)
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