US embassy cable - 05MANILA312

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000312 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PMBS, INR/EAP, DRL/CRA 
NSC FOR GREEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PINR, SNAR, RP 
SUBJECT: MORE VIGILANTE-STYLE KILLINGS REPORTED IN DAVAO 
CITY 
 
REF: A. MANILA 129 
 
     B. 03 MANILA 6557 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Andrew McClearn for Reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  There have been 26 reported killings of 
suspected criminals in Davao City, Mindanao, since the new 
year began.  Human rights organizations have implicated the 
"Davao Death Squad," a vigilante group linked with Davao 
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, in the killings.  Mission has 
expressed concern to the GRP about the killings in Davao and 
earlier reports of similar killings in Cebu City.  Amid 
further incendiary comments by the local mayor, the 
Philippine National Police (PNP) have begun an investigation 
into the situation in Cebu.  The latest killings in Davao 
serve to add to the lethal image that Mayor Duterte has 
carefully cultivated since coming to office in 1998.  End 
Summary. 
 
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Davao:  Surge in Vigilante-Style Killings 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) There have been 26 reported vigilante-style 
killings in Davao City, Mindanao, since the new year began. 
Most of those killed were apparently petty criminals, 
although the list of victims included marketplace vendors, 
construction workers, a housewife, and two members of a 
leftist political party.  Press reports indicate that masked 
men on motorcycles committed most of the killings. 
 
3.  (SBU) Human rights organizations have accused the "Davao 
Death Squad," (DDS) a vigilante group linked with Davao Mayor 
Duterte, of carrying out many of the killings.  The DDS was 
similarly implicated in over 60 killings in 2004.  Mayor 
Duterte all but acknowledged his active support of the DDS 
group during a 2003 meeting with poloffs (Ref B).  PNP 
officials, who are investigating the situation, are also 
looking into reports that some of the killings may have been 
the result of a local turf war between traffickers of "shabu" 
(meta-amphetamines).  Duterte, referring to the killings, 
stated last week: "Drug lords are garbage and we will dispose 
of them like garbage."  In a January 17 meeting at city hall, 
he also offered cash rewards to citizens who helped identify 
drug traffickers or drug production laboratories so that they 
could be "punished and destroyed." 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Lack of Confidence in GRP Investigatory Effort 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
4.  (C) Mission has raised concerns about the latest killings 
in Davao.  Philippine government contacts have promised that 
the GRP is looking into the situation.  Albert Sipaco, 
director of the Davao office of the Commission on Human 
Rights (CHR), told us that he did not have confidence in the 
ability of the national government to investigate the 
situation, however well-intentioned it might be:  "We are 
having the same problem as last year; friends and families of 
the victims don't lift a finger to accuse anyone, and neither 
eyewitnesses or hearsay witnesses come forward to the 
authorities."  Sipaco added that Duterte was unlikely to 
cooperate in any investigation given past patterns. 
Moreover, most Davao citizens "seem to approve" of the 
extra-judicial killings, which strengthened Duterte's hand 
immeasurably, he said.  Local human rights NGOs and leftist 
groups have also publicly complained about the killings, 
blaming Duterte for what has transpired. 
 
------------------------- 
PNP Investigation in Cebu 
------------------------- 
 
5.  (C/NF) Mission, in meetings with GRP officials, has also 
expressed concern regarding the recent string of apparent 
extra-judicial killings in Cebu (see Ref A).  Mission has 
received confirmation that PNP Director General Edgar Aglipay 
has ordered his organization to investigate the situation. 
On January 14, Aglipay deployed his personal staff assistant, 
LTC Dionardo Carlos, to the PNP's regional task force office 
in Cebu.  Carlos, who has a good reputation, confided to DEA 
officer that he had been tasked with investigating the 14 
killings that have taken place in Cebu, including the 
accusations that some elements of the PNP are involved. 
Separately, poloff conveyed USG concern over the matter to 
Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama. 
 
6.  (U) In the meantime, Mayor Tommy Osmena has continued to 
make public comments that clearly indicate his support for 
vigilante-style activities against suspected criminals.  For 
example, Osmena was recently quoted as stating the following 
to a group of police officers: 
 
"Go ahead, pull the trigger.  As mayor, my warning to anybody 
doing a crime is I will see to it that you'll be dead on the 
spot.  If we catch you, you will be so sorry -- you won't be 
around." 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
7. (C) The latest killings in Davao serve to add to the 
lethal image that Mayor Duterte has carefully cultivated 
since coming to office in 1998.  As touched on above, his 
clear support for and public encouragement of extra-judicial 
killings has only added to his popularity -- he won his last 
two races for mayor by landslides.  Unfortunately, Tommy 
Osmena, the mayor of Cebu, appears to be following the same 
"tough guy" script set out by Duterte (and other Filipino 
politicians).  The sad fact is that rising crime rates and a 
slow, complicated legal system leave many Filipinos 
appreciative of such tactics, while weakening the rule of law 
in favor of summary justice.  On the plus side,  many local 
human rights groups and other observers continue to highlight 
the steep costs of vigilantism to Filipino society and 
institutions. 
 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
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http://www.state.sgov.gov/ 
Ricciardone