Duterte Confirms Existence of Death Squad

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has acknowledged the existence of a 'death squad' during his tenure as Davao City mayor, although he provided contradictory accounts regarding its composition, initially claiming it was run by police before later stating it comprised gangsters. During a Senate inquiry into his controversial war on drugs, Duterte identified former national police chief Ronaldo dela Rosa as a 'commander' of the squad but insisted he never authorized police to execute suspects. Human rights organizations report over 1,400 suspicious killings in Davao during Duterte's mayoralty and more than 6,200 deaths linked to his national drug campaign, which is under investigation by the International Criminal Court. Despite the gravity of his admissions, Duterte maintained he did not target defenseless individuals, stating he merely encouraged criminals to fight back. His testimony has drawn criticism, with victims' families expressing outrage at his attempts to justify the violence. Duterte's remarks have reignited debate over accountability for the alleged extrajudicial killings associated with his administration's policies.