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MANILA – Senators are mulling over a resolution to summon members of the Davao Police in a congressional probe so they can be questioned about the Davao Death Squad (DDS) allegedly headed by former Davao City mayor, current President Rodrigo Duterte, a lawmaker said on Friday.
“I still have to meet other senators to discuss if that is necessary because it would be unlikely for the police to admit that they are part of the alleged Davao Death Squad,” Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights chair Sen. Richard Gordon said.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV had earlier filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the DDS.
Trillanes filed the resolution in the wake of criticism from Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III that the ongoing Senate committee on justice and human rights probe on extrajudicial killings “went out of bounds” by tackling allegations involving the DDS.
Gordon said an executive session will be held to vet the credibility of the witnesses who may be summoned to the probe on the DDS, but declined to comment on self-confessed DDS hitman Edgar Matobato’s credibility.
“I don’t want the committee to be biased but Matobato gave not a few, but a lot of inconsistencies. But the hearing is not yet over so we still can’t pass judgment (on his credibility),” Gordon said.
Gordon hopes to wrap up hearings on extrajudicial killings by Sept. 28.
But Sen. PanfiloLacson said a more extensive probe should be done to “determine whether the killings are extrajudicial or not.”
“(We need to know) If these killings were not perpetrated by the Philippine National Police, what are they doing to stop these killings?” Lacson said. (ABS-CBN News)
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