Duterte takes responsibility for Davao City killings

MANILA, Philippines - Amid a recent spate of suspected vigilante killings in his turf, Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte has said he is taking “full responsibility," but insisted these were not "state-sponsored." Online news site Mindanao Daily Mirror reported that Duterte stressed this at a multi-sectoral investigation on summary killings in the city. "There are no state-sponsored killings in this city," he told the crowd of lawyers and civic and religious groups at the gathering. Duterte also said he was assuming "full responsibility for the unsolved killings because I am the mayor of this city." The city council committee on human rights and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) called for the meetings in the wake of a rash of summary killings in the City. Local residents attributed the killings to a vigilante group called the Davao Death Squad (DDS), which is believed to kill suspected criminals, particularly drug pushers. But Duterte and the city government denied such a group exists, saying the killings are being committed by criminals against fellow criminals. On the other hand, Duterte reiterated he will "do everything to keep this city peaceful, even if it would even mean my freedom because this is my passion." Duterte asked the members of the judiciary to speed up the prosecution of cases involving the summary killings and urged the police not to leave any stone unturned to find the truth behind every killing. He also asked civil society to do its share in helping the city maintain order so that everyone can live peacefully. "Human rights investigators should not only focus on counting the death of every man who has been a problem of their respective community but should look into the plight of the victims," he said. Davao City police chief Senior Superintendent Ramon Apolinario added the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) will use all its resources in investigating the summary killings. - GMANews.TV