NPA denies conducting Davao Death Squad killings

From ABS-CBN (Feb 22): NPA denies conducting Davao Death Squad killings

The New People’s Army denied Wednesday that some communist rebels committed extrajudicial killings as part of the so-called Davao Death Squad.

"We are firm and certain that the New People's Army only takes orders from its commanders under the direct guidance of the Communist Party,” said the NPA’s Melito Glor Command.

“Never will the NPA take orders from people outside the CPP-NPA, especially political personalities in the reactionary government."

The communist rebels issued this statement following the claims made by retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas that he, along with some cops and rebel returnees, was paid by then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to kill criminals and other political enemies.

Lascañas’ admission is a recantation of his earlier testimony in a Senate hearing where he said that the DDS is only a product of media hype.

Lascañas’ testimony also backs the earlier admission of another self-confessed DDS hitman Edgar Matobato that rebel returnees were commissioned by the group.

'Davao Death Squad composed of cops, rebel returnees'

In a September 2016 Senate hearing, Matobato said there were about 300 rebel returnees in the death squad.

“Ang pinapatay nila yung mga nasasangkot sa gang war, rugby boys, mga bata pa ma’am. Mga 15, 17. Ganyan ang trabaho nila,” he said.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/22/17/npa-denies-conducting-davao-death-squad-killings