By Jade C. Zaldivar
SEVERAL gun-for-hire syndicates are operating in Davao City, acting Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte bared Wednesday night.
Acting chief executive in the absence of daughter City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is on official leave, the vice mayor said these gun-for-hire gangs target those who are involved in business or are enmeshed in property conflicts by offering themselves as security escort but extort money and then murder their victims.
“Nia sa Davao nay daghang grupo nga gun for hire. Dili lang ni isa, daghang naga-kanya kanya og operate, unya mupatay gyud. Abi nimo sa walay rason nga gipatay pero when we looked into it naay conflict,” the vice mayor said in an interview at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.
“I am raising the alarm para naay awareness. Kanang mga tao nga nay conflict sa yuta or sa negosyo you are put on notice of people approaching you offering their help, offering to be your security only nga ikaw ang biktimahon,” he added.
Duterte added that also targeted by these groups are those with crime records wherein those they have offended are seeking revenge.
He said he’ll be ordering the police to seek out all who have warrants of arrest to avoid them being murdered.
“Uban tinood, basig criminal gyud. Mao nang akong ingnon sa pulis nga kung kinsa tong nay warrant pang dakpa na ninyo kay kung mamatay na, kamo pay pasanginlan. Might as well make the arrest now, tan-awon ninyo nga buhi sila,” he said.
The acting mayor said he has knowledge on who these syndicates are.
“Tagai lang ko ug panahon. Ang uban murag kaila nako. Nakahibawo mi kung kinsa ning mga grupuha pero wa namo ni naakto og dakop nga nang-extort or naay gipatay (Give us time. I think I know some of them, However we have not been able to catch them in the act or extorting of killing somebody.)” he said.
Duterte said these gun-for-hire syndicates travel in and out of the city.
“Naga suroy-suroy ni sila. Mugawas ug syudad, adto og Tagum kung init diri(They moving around. They get out of the city and go to Tagum,when the hit is on here) ,” he said.
“Mupalit ni sila og away, muintriga. Kanang naa nay away daan, musulti sila nga ‘kampi mi nimo kay dili mi ganahan sa iyang batasan’. Unya kung musugot ang tao, mang-extort sila. Daghang negosyante diri sa Davao nga nakasinati ana,” Duterte added.
Command conference
Duterte said he will be calling for a command conference to discuss said gun for hire syndicates.
“I will be inviting everybody, including the regional commander sa intelligence. In and out sila sa Davao so gawas diri ang kailangan tanawon,” he said.
Also to be invited is Commission on Human Rights (CHR) regional director Alberto Sipaco Jr., the vice mayor said.
He added that he wants the police to aid the CHR in their own investigation.
