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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Multiple murder raps vs Davao mayor

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The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday asked the Department of Justice to prosecute former Tagum City Mayor Rey “Chiong” Uy and 28 others for multiple counts of murder and frustrated murder. Uy and the other accused allegedly operated a death squad which was behind the 300 unsolved killings in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley from 2008 to 2012.

 The NBI-Task Force Tagum Death Squad completed its investigation on the 82 murder incidents in Tagum and Dujali in Davao de Norte, Maco and Wahab towns in Compostela Valley nd Butuan City.

 Apart from Uy, those recommended for prosecution were former head of Tagums Civil Security Unit (CSU); Conrado Palen, a communist rebel returnee; Senior Police Officer 1 Rolly Sabitsana, team leader of Tagum Death Squad; PO1 Alex Maniego, current head of CSU; Wrenster Azarcon, alleged triggerman; and several others.

The case stemmed from the report released last year by New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) titled “One Shot to the Head: Death Squad Killings in Tagum City, Philippines.”

Uy was invited by the NBI for investigation but he did not appear before the probers.

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  Based on the NBI’s complaint, the TDS was created to allegedly to rid Tagum City of “weeds” such as thieves, snatchers, drug pushers.

 Uy allegedly provided payment and equipment for the operations using CSU as cover to lawfully issue guns and motorcycles used in the killings.

 It added that TDS members received salaries as employees of CSU doing nothing, but just pass the time until instructions are given to kill somebody.

But the TDS was later on used for contract killings to eliminate business competitors, enemies, and even police officers who were threats to them or going against their interest, according to the complaint.

 TDS members who refused to carry out orders or opted to quit also became targets of the death squad, according to the complant.

 Former members of the TDS Romnick Minta, who survived an assassination attempt on him, and Jomari Abayon, have both executed sworn statements detailing the death squad’s operations.

 Their statements as well as the complaint-affidavits of the families of the victims and survivors became the NBI’s basis in filing the complaint against Uy and his alleged co-conspirators.

 Abayon confirmed 30 killing committed by the death squad and admitted having participated in 16 of these killings.

 Minta, on the other hand, admitted that he participated in the death squad as either an asset, back-up, triggerman or driver of the motorcycle used in the assault.

                                                                                        

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