Bayan says “Davao Template” also used to target activists and state critics
The recent testimonies at the quadcom hearings of the House of Representatives have revealed what we have been asserting for years: That the biggest criminal syndicate is the government headed by a manipulative thug and his cabal of big-time plunderers and murderers.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte made no secret about this plan to kill with impunity, but the extent of his crimes and the systematic enforcement of the state-directed killings are not widely known. The police went on a killing spree because the commander-in-chief was rewarding those who were carrying out the notorious “death squad” template in Davao.
At the very least, Duterte and his trusted subordinates in the Cabinet and the police should be held liable for crimes against humanity. There is now enough evidence to directly link Duterte to gruesome killings that terrorized urban poor communities.
But we also know that Duterte’s deadly legacy was not limited to drug-related killings. The investigation should also look into the extrajudicial killings that targeted activists, lawyers, journalists, workers, farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and revolutionary leaders. These activists and human rights defenders were first demonized and red-tagged by Duterte before they became victims of Tokhang-style killings.
Was there also a reward system for soldiers and police who arrested and killed the so-called “enemies of the state”? Was the “Davao template” adopted in mobilizing state forces to target activists, critics, and suspected communist leaders?
It is infuriating that instead of being made accountable for these ghastly crimes, Duterte and his ilk had the gall to ask the public to return them to power. They should be spending the rest of their time behind bars and not holding positions in public office where they can use taxpayers’ money to commit more lies and crimes.
We also condemn Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr who colluded with Duterte in hiding the truth and blocking the pursuit of justice when he assumed the presidency. But their selfish maneuver for consolidation of power has pitted them against one another. This and the continuing clamor for truth and accountability have prompted various individuals to confess their crimes and to reveal the truth about the criminal activities under the Duterte presidency.
The ongoing quadcom hearings expose the rotten character of Philippine politics that the likes of a criminal thug like Duterte and an opportunist son of a dictator like Marcos Jr can gain control of the bureaucracy. We call for Duterte’s prosecution and his arrest as we enjoin the people to continue the fight for justice by condemning the drug war, the brutal counterinsurgency program, and other rebranded anti-people policies of the Marcos Jr government.
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