Philippine President Involved in 'Killing of a Thousand People'

A former member of paramilitary groups testified on Thursday, September 25, in the Philippine Senate that Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the country, ordered him and other members of a death squad to kill opponents and criminals in armed attacks similar to those of armed gangs when he was mayor. According to him, around a thousand people were killed during these attacks. Edgar Matobato, 57, stated during the Senate investigation session, which was broadcast live on television, that he heard Duterte issue orders for some of these killings and that he personally carried out about 50 of these murders. Human rights groups have long accused the president of the Philippines of involvement in such killings. However, Duterte has denied any involvement in the activities of death squads, even in speeches defending the 'killing of criminals.' Edgar Matobato is the first person to confess to participating in these murders and implicating the president in a public investigation. The committee's investigation is chaired by Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte's drug war policies. Since the beginning of his presidency in June, more than three thousand drug dealers and users have been killed due to the implementation of this policy. In response, Duterte accused Senator de Lima of accepting bribes from drug trafficking gangs, an accusation she has vehemently denied. Matobato testified that Duterte had even ordered the assassination of Senator de Lima when he was mayor. At that time, de Lima was the head of the Human Rights Commission and was investigating Duterte's potential involvement in illegal killings in the Davao region. The witness added that he and his colleagues were supposed to ambush and kill de Lima on her way to Davao, but their plan was thwarted due to changes in her schedule. The Associated Press recalls that the killing of individuals suspected of involvement in drug trafficking has raised concerns not only in the Philippines but also abroad in recent months. One example is Barack Obama's criticism of these actions and his emphasis on stopping the killings and respecting human rights in the drug war. Duterte, while rejecting criticism from the U.S. and the United Nations, claimed that the U.S. government, which massacred some Muslims in the Philippines in the early 20th century, has no authority to defend human rights. Matobato further testified that these killings began in 1988 when Duterte became mayor of Davao and continued until 2013. He said, 'Our duty was to kill drug traffickers, drug dealers, rapists, and thieves. But in addition, opponents of Duterte and his son, who is now the vice mayor of Davao, were also targeted.' A spokesperson for the Philippine presidency denied these allegations, stating that government investigations into Duterte's mayoral term in Davao had not yielded results due to a lack of sufficient evidence. Officials and human rights activists in the Philippines have long stated that witnesses are unwilling to testify against Duterte for fear of death. The Philippine president has not yet responded to the witness's statements, but a spokesperson said that although Edgar Matobato's testimonies 'seem credible,' we must all assess the validity of his claims.