“License to Kill”

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Human Rights Watch also investigated the Davao City killings. While our research found no evidence that directly linked Duterte to any killing, we found complicity and at times direct involvement of government officials and members of the police in these killings. Relatives and friends of death squad members provided detailed and consistent information on Davao Death Squad operations, which was corroborated by journalists, community activists, and government officials. 22 In September 2016, Edgar Matobato testified at a Senate hearing that he had been a hitman for the Davao Death Squad and had killed several people on the specific orders of Duterte and his son Paolo, who is now Davao City’s vice mayor. 23 These include anti- Communist radio broadcaster and fierce Duterte critic Juan “Jun" Pala, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen in 2003. 24 After winning the 2016 presidential election, Duterte railed against corrupt journalists, who he said deserved to be killed. 25 Duterte responded to Matobato’s allegations by calling them lies. 26 The use of “death squads” to target petty criminals spread to other cities in the Philippines. US State Department cables released by WikiLeaks in 2005 noted the apparent rise of municipal government- “ Most of you are clean but do not ever expect that all journalists are clean. They take sides. Just because you are a journalist you are not exempted from assassination you son of a bitch.” ―Rodrigo Duterte, June 29, 2016 22 Ibid. 23 Katerina Francisco, Michael Bueza, and Jodesz Gavilan, “Timeline: Witness lists killings allegedly ‘ordered by Duterte,’” Rappler, September 15, 2016, http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/146342-timeline-witness-lists-alleged-killings-dutertedavao-city (accessed December 12, 2016). 24 Bea Cupin, “Duterte ordered killing of Jun Pala–Senate witness,” Rappler, September 15, 2016, http://www.rappler.com/nation/146292-duterte-ordered-killing-jun-pala-senate-witness (accessed December 12, 2016). 25 “Philippine president-elect says ‘corrupt’ journalists will be killed,” Agence France-Presse, May 31, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/31/philippine-president-elect-says-corrupt-journalists-will-be-killed. 26 “Duterte says Matobato lied in his testimony,” CNN Philippines, September 20, 2016, http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/09/20/duterte-matobato-lied-testimony.html (accessed December 13, 2016). LICENSE TO KILL 30
sanctioned death squads in cities including Cebu City, Toledo, and Carcar on the island of Cebu. 27 Human Rights Watch’s investigations of summary killings in Tagum City, 50 kilometers north of Davao City, found that Rey Uy, the city’s mayor from 1998 to 2013, created a death squad that mirrored the modus operandi of the Davao Death Squad. 28 By 2005, the Tagum Death Squad had morphed into a guns-for-hire operation whose targets included businessmen, police officers, an indigenous tribe leader, a judge, and former death squad members. 29 Duterte the “Death Squad” President? Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Duterte has initiated an anti-drug campaign premised on baseless claims that the Philippines is in the midst of a “drug emergency” and is spiraling toward the status of a “narco state.” 30 He even released a list of public officials with “ If I become president, I advise you people to put up several funeral parlor businesses because I am against illegal drugs … I might kill someone because of it.” ―Rodrigo Duterte, November 27, 2015 alleged links to illegal drugs. 31 In his public pronouncements, Duterte has cited different statistics to justify his “war on drugs,” most recently saying that the number of drug users in the Philippines will grow to four million, hence the need “to stop it now.” 32 The Dangerous Drugs Board, in its latest 27 “More Vigilante-Style Killings Reported in Davao City,” WikiLeaks, January 20, 2005, https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/05MANILA312_a.html (accessed December 13, 2016). 28 Human Rights Watch, One Shot to the Head: Death Squad Killings in Tagum City, Philippines, May 2014, https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/05/20/one-shot-head/death-squad-killings-tagum-city-philippines. 29 Ibid. 30 John Paolo Bencito, “Duterte: Kill all the ‘narco-pols,’” Manila Standard, August 6, 2016, http://thestandard.com.ph/news/headlines/212509/duterte-kill-all-the-narco-pols-.html (accessed December 13, 2016). 31 Rosette Adel, “Public officials Duterte said are involved in illegal drugs,” philstar.com, August 7, 2016, http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/08/07/1611013/list-public-officials-duterte-said-are-involved-illegal-drugs (accessed December 13, 2016). 32 Edith Regalado, “‘Addicts to reach 4 M, so let’s stop this now,’” Philippine Star, September 25, 2016, http://www. philstar.com/headlines/2016/09/25/1627232/addicts-reach-4-m-so-lets-stop-now (accessed December 12, 2016). 31 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | MARCH 2017
Page 1: H U M A N R I G H T S W A T C H “
Page 4 and 5: Copyright © 2017 Human Rights Watc
Page 6 and 7: Norberto Maderal, George Avanceña,
Page 9: SUMMARY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | MARCH
Page 12 and 13: On the afternoon of October 14, 201
Page 14 and 15: Jayson Asuncion, 37, surrendered to
Page 16 and 17: A barangay official told Rogie Seba
Page 18: A family picture with the coffin of
Page 21 and 22: Human Rights Watch examined the pol
Page 23 and 24: Six masked armed men burst into a M
Page 25 and 26: Relatives of Edward Sentorias, 34,
Page 28 and 29: and his top subordinates have denie
Page 31 and 32: “Hitler massacred three million J
Page 33 and 34: Methodology From October 2016 to Ja
Page 35 and 36: eal crime wave unleashed by his own
Page 37: Duterte was Davao City mayor for mo
Page 41 and 42: “And if in the process you kill o
Page 43 and 44: The human rights [activists] said I
Page 45 and 46: Adviser Hermogenes Esperon confirme
Page 47 and 48: meant to indicate that police opera
Page 49 and 50: the suspects had been in police cus
Page 51 and 52: uyer was to purchase one (1) piece
Page 53 and 54: Media accounts of the incident said
Page 55 and 56: Approximately 30 minutes after the
Page 57 and 58: no reason to lie about this. That i
Page 59 and 60: Napoleon Miras Ai-Ai, July 24 Baran
Page 61 and 62: [T]he suspect sensed that he was be
Page 63 and 64: Noel Alberto, “Sarah,” Septembe
Page 65 and 66: Antonio’s relatives believe that
Page 67 and 68: cops came on a motorbike. The unifo
Page 69 and 70: locked off the area and told the fa
Page 71 and 72: thereafter, gunshots rang out, and
Page 73 and 74: Virgilio Mirano, September 27 Baran
Page 75 and 76: Jury Jana, October 4 Baragay 120, C
Page 77 and 78: At about 11 p.m. on October 4, Visd
Page 79 and 80: the police. 218 On October 20, the
Page 81 and 82: ody. They covered the body with a b
Page 83 and 84: Heart de Chavez, January 10; “Joa
Page 85 and 86: killings. The police report states
Page 87 and 88: III. Prohibition of Extrajudicial E
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Philippine Law The Philippine Const
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y the physical perpetrators needs t
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Unlike war crimes, crimes against h
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If I became president, you all shou
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etter believe me.” 296 Duterte to
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On September 20, Duterte responded
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noted, since Duterte has taken offi
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Promised Immunity to Subordinate Co
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V. International Response to Dutert
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Duterte responded: “Why are you s
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Shortly after the November election
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agree to be together or not, whethe
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Ahead of Duterte’s state visit to
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statement, stating, “Please formu
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suspected drug dealers and drug use
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The International Criminal Court In
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• End the criminalization of the
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To the Department of Health • Enc
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• Consider reviewing the Philippi
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Annex I: Excerpts from Police Repor
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direction of the approaching lawmen
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Napoleon Miras Ai-Ai, alias “Nono
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Garry Catungal, alias “Opay,” o
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“License to Kill”

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