Monday, February 27, 2017

'DUTERTE FORMED DAVAO DEATH SQUADS (DDS), ORDERED KILLINGS, I WAS THERE' | Lascanas turns confession into sworn statement.





"x x x.

Lascañas said the origin of DDS was the Anti-Crime Task Force allegedly organized by Duterte when he was elected mayor in 1988.

“At the start, Mayor Duterte was serious in going after criminals, especially organized crime. I was a member of this task force. Because of the works of the Anti-Crime Task Force, and with the cooperation of the other police units and the Davao Metropolitan District Command, the crime rate in Davao City went down,” Lascañas said.

He claimed that it was at this time when Mayor Duterte began organizing liquidation squads that later became known as the Davao Death Squad. 

“In the beginning we targeted and killed drug addicts, drug pushers, snatchers, hold uppers and other criminals. Later on, however, we were ordered by Duterte to go after and kill his personal and political enemies,” the former police officer said. 

“We became like hired or contract killers who killed no only criminals but innocent people,” he said. 

He also confirmed his earlier announcement in a press conference organized by Trillanes that he had participated in the killing of Allan Tancio, a known drug pusher; Mr. Sapataja, the alleged leader of a kidnap-for-ransom group, who allegedly abducted a certain Mrs. Susan Abaca.

Lascañas likewise said that he and DDS members, upon Duterte's alleged instructions, had killed broadcaster Jun Poras Pala, vocal critic of the former mayor and participated in the bombing of several Muslim mosques in retaliation for the bombing of a Catholic Cathedral in December 1993.

He said he had also killed Jun Bersabal, who led a group of ex-Philippine Constabulary soldiers that engaged in various criminal activities including akyat-bahay, rape and robbery.

x x x."