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Marbil orders review of all unsolved killings during Duterte administration's drug war
Marbil orders review of all unsolved killings during Duterte administration's drug war
Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has ordered the accounting of all the unsolved killings and questionable police operations during the conduct of the drug war of the past administration.
The order came after former president Rodrigo Duterte was quoted saying during a Senate hearing that he has his own death squad composed of gangsters.
“Our Chief PNP gave an instruction to extract all the unsolved cases, particularly those classified as drug-related deaths that purportedly involved death squads,” said PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo.
Fajardo said the order is part of the in-depth probe being conducted by the PNP on the alleged widespread killings during the conduct of drug war since July 2016, including the possible involvement of policemen.
In a hearing of the Quad-Committee of the House of Representatives, retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royima Garma said that there was a reward system for policemen for every death of illegal drugs personalities.
Fajardo said the PNP investigation will be extensive in order to ferret out the truth.
“Our Chief PNP said there will be no sacred cows in the conduct of investigation. In fact, there were already a series of meetings held to come up with an investigative efforts to ensure a credible and transparent investigation,” said Fajardo.
“This is not only limited to the so-called Davao Death Squad but all those cases that were mentioned and specified during the hearing both in the Senate and Congress,” she added.
Fajardo said the PNP is taking note of all the testimonies in the Senate and Quad-Comm hearings and assured that the PNP have already initiated actions.
This includes the case of retired police general and former PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga who was mentioned in the Quad-Comm hearing.
She said the probe will also cover the statements made by Duterte.
“With due respect to our former president, he first mentioned the death squad but later retracted it. But this will not stop the PNP from pursuing and investigating this case,” said Fajardo.
“He mentioned some names and there were some policemen that will be used as lead and basis of the PNP to conduct further investigation,” she added.
More than 6,000 people died in various police operations during the past administration’s drug war. Thousands more died at the hands of alleged vigilante groups that were inspired by the killings of illegal drug personalities.