Monday, January 22, 2007 Media urged to probe 'vigilante' killings By Ben O. Tesiorna
CITY Mayor Rodrigo Duterte challenged investigative journalists and anyone who thinks that the City Government is behind the spate of vigilante killings in the city to do their own probe come up with a proof.
Duterte made the challenge as he denied that killings perpetrated against petty thieves and gang members are done by the shadowy group, Davao Death Squad, who is rumored to have been created by Duterte himself.
The mayor admitted that they too are at a loss on who could be behind the spate of killings.
"But I am sure these are not killings sponsored by the City Government. Maybe on serious crimes like drugs and kidnappings but not on thieves and gang members," Duterte said.
He suspects that the killings could have been perpetrated by victims of these theft suspects or by rival gang members.
Based on the records of the Davao City Police Office, solution to the murders, drive-by killings, and "trips" or fancy killings in 2006 appear wanting with 62 percent of the three-figure number remaining unsolved.
For a killing to be marked solved in the police blotters, it means a suspect has been identified.
The Investigation and Detection Division of the Davao City Police Office listed a total of 640 cases of killings -- either by stabbing or shooting -- in the city for the year 2006, or an average of 1.57 killings in a day.
Of this number, only 231 were solved. The police attribute the low solution rate to the absence of witnesses.
A total of 601 deaths were males, both adults and young. Of the total, 568 were adults while the rest were minors killed in gang-related killings.
The suspects in the 231 "solved" cases have already been arrested. Some are detained in police stations, the others already at the Ma-a City Jail.
A total of 382 cases are still under investigation.
