7 July 2009

CHR PROBE ON DAVAO KILLINGS CONTINUE, SKELETAL REMAINS

FOUND

THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (CHR)- CREATED MULTI-

SECTORAL TASK FORCE COMPOSED OF THE PNP, AFP, NBI, PDEA, BJMP,
DSWD, DOH, DOJ, DND AND DILG IS NOW ON THE THICK OF ITS PROBE.

ON DUE APPLICATION BY THE PNP SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TASK

GROUP (SITG), BASED ON THE SWORN STATEMENT OF A FORMER SELF
CONFESSED DDS MEMBER/EYEWITNESS, THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
BRANCH 34 OF MANILA APPROVED AND ISSUED A SEARCH WARRANT
AUTHORIZING THE PNP TO SEARCH THE AREA, MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED AS GOLD CUP FIRING RANGE. A PRIVATELY OWNED
PREMISES, RUN AND OPERATED BY A RETIRED POLICEMAN, RETIRED
SPO4 BIENVENIDO LAUD ALIAS TATAY LAUD. THIS SITE IS BELIEVED TO
BE THE DUMPING GROUND OF BODIES OF VICTIMS OF SUMMARY
KILLINGS, ACCORDING TO INFORMANTS TO THE CHR.

THE SEARCH IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SW IS NOW BEING

UNDERTAKEN BY SITG TEAM LED BY PSSUPT FAJARDO, CIDG-NCR
UNDER PSI SY, CLS LED BY PCI PALMERO, ATTY VILLENA OF HRAO, CIDG
PRO 11 LED BY PSUPT MASAUDING, ASSISTED BY ELEMENTS OF
REGIONAL MOBILE GROUP (RMG) UNDER PSSUPT QUINSAY, PACER
MINDANAO LED BY PSSUPT BRIONES. AT PRESENT, THE AREA WHICH IS
SUBJECT OF SW IS BEING SECURED BY THE RMG 11.

THE BURIAL SITE TAKES MORE OR LESS FIVE MINUTES TREK FROM
ASCENDING AT 75 DEGREES IN A NARROW HUMAN TRAIL TO REACH THE
BURIAL SITE DESCRIBED IN THE SW. DIGGINGS IMMEDIATELY
UNDERTAKEN RESULTED IN THE FINDINGS OF SEVERAL FRAGMENTS
IDENTIFIED BY THE SOCO AS HUMAN REMAINS.

ON THE SECOND DAY, BATTERY OF LAWYERS OF THE PROPERTY OWNER

ARRIVED AND DEMANDED TO STOP ANY FORM OF DIGGINGS COUPLED
WITH THREATS OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. THE SEARCH TEAM HOLDS
ITS GROUND AND CONTINUES THE SEARCH, TO DATE.

ALSO ON THE SECOND DAY, THE SEARCH TEAM WHILE ON ITS WAY TO
THE BURIAL SITE, CHANCED UPON A CREEK WITH APPARENTLY MAN-
MADE PIT WHERE THEIR ATTENTION WAS CALLED BY AN OBJECT
WHICH WHEN CHECKED APPEARS TO BE A HUMAN LEG BONE. THE
PLACE NOT BEING PART OF THE SW WAS PRESERVED AND CORDONED
FOR SECURITY. FOR THIS, THE TEAM IMMEDIATELY ENDEAVORED TO
APPLY FOR A NEW SEARCH WARRANT AT THE RTC-DAVAO CITY. THE
APPLICATION, HOWEVER, WAS PASSED FROM ONE JUDGE UP TO THE
FOURTH WHO APPEARED TO RELUCTANTLY CONDUCT THE SUMMARY
PROCEEDINGS. AT ONE POINT, THE PRESIDING JUDGE MADE A VERY
DISCOURAGING COMMENT: Alam nyo ba ginagawa nyo?. THE PRESIDING
JUDGE PROMISED TO ACT ON THE APPLICATION BEFORE 5PM
YESTERDAY, JULY 6, ONLY TO CHANGE HIS MIND IN A MATTER OF LESS
THAN FIVE MINUTES BY DIRECTING APPLICANT TO WAIT FOR THE
FOLLOWING DAY, TODAY, JULY 7. UNFORTUNATELY, AS OF THIS
WRITING, THE SEARCH WARRANT HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED YET.

WITH POSITIVE RESULTS SO FAR ACHIEVED, THE PNP/CIDG IS VERY

OPTIMISTIC THAT MORE REMNANTS OF SUMMARY EXECUTIONS ARE
ABOUT TO BE UNEARTHED.

THE MULTI-AGENCY TASK FORCE, PARTICULARLY THE COMMISSION ON

HUMAN RIGHTS (CHR) AND PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE (PNP),
ASSURES THE PUBLIC THAT THIS NO NON-SENSE EFFORT WILL
CONTINUE WITHOUT LEAVING ANY STONE UNTURNED TO CARRYOUT
ITS MANDATE WITHIN THE LEGALLY ESTABLISHED PROCEDURE
ALLOWED UNDER EXISTING LAWS.
14 July 2009

MORE HUMAN BONES FOUND AT THE SITE COVERED BY THE

SEARCH WARRANTS; NEW VIDEO CLIPS AND PHOTOS RELEASED

On the strength of a new search warrant (SW) issued on 10 July 2009 by RTC-Manila,
this time through Hon. William Simon P. Peralta, the 2 nd Vice-Executive Judge and
Presiding Judge of Branch 50, the PNP-CIDG Special Investigation Task Group
(SITG) created specifically to assist the CHR and the CHR-led multi-agency task
force in the ongoing probe into the summary killings attributed to the so-called Davao
Death Squad (DDS), diggings continued last Saturday, July 12, at the Gold Cup/Laud
Firing Range in Brgy. Maa, Davao City . CHR Chairperson Leila M. De Lima was
personally present at the site and witnessed the diggings.

Three (3) caves were covered by the new SW. In one of them, and the very same cave
where a human leg bone (actually a thigh bone) was earlier found, a human skull with
bullet hole and a small arm bone were found.

Also, at the site (an ipil-ipil plantation located at a hill at the back of the firing range)
covered by the 1 st SW issued by RTC-Manila Executive Judge Romulo A. Lopez,
more human bones were discovered after a new witness/informant (in a shielded face)
pointed to that spot. This witness/informant, who represented himself to be a former
DDS member, claims to be have buried the body of his victim at that spot 5-6 years
ago. The victim was allegedly also a DDS hitman. After minutes of digging and after
around 3-4 feet deep, human bones, including thigh bones and fragments of various
parts of body, were discovered. The spot where this new set of bones were found last
Saturday, was near or beside the spots were two (2) sets of bones were found on the
first 2 days, namely, July 5 and 6, of digging at the site covered by the 1 st SW.

Also found at the opening of one of the caves were 3 sets of license plates (believed to
be fake) and ammunition/bullets of various sizes and caliber.

Said digging and discovery of more bones and suspicious artifacts were witnessed by
Chair De Lima; a lawyer of the owner of the property, a retired policeman, SPO4
Bienvenido Laud; personnel of the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) who were
securing the area; and members/crew of local media, including ABS-CBN-Davao,
GMA 7-Davao and NBN-Davao.

Video clips and still photos of these new findings are again made available by CHR
and may be secured at the Office of the Chairperson by any interested party.