The Davao Death Squad

Vigilante-style attacks attributed to the Davao Death Squad (DDS) have resumed here and in other parts of southern Mindanao since August, claiming the lives of at least 22 more victims, officials said.

The situation is “disturbing,” State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano said. Fifteen cases have been reported in August and seven others in just four days of this month alone, he said.

Since 1998, more than 900 people, including those with criminal records and juvenile offenders, have been victims of unexplained killings in Davao City.

THE REPORT CONTINUES TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE VICTIMS WERE EXECUTED

In nearby Digos City, the latest victim was a young unidentified male, possibly a minor, whose body was dumped in a grassy area of Purok Catleya in Barangay Tiguman at around 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Anthony Padua, Digos police chief, placed the victim’s age at 15 or 17 years. “He was stabbed at least 17 times in the head, neck, back, arms and belly,” he said.

In the late 1990s, the killers rode on motorcycles and gunned down their victims, most of whom were known to be gang members and illegal drug peddlers. But recently, the killings were done by stabbing.

Some victims were murdered just minutes after their release from prison, while others were executed days after they committed a crime.

In some cases, the DDS warned families of would-be victims.

READ THE COMPLETE REPORT AT:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090911-224645/Davao-Death-Squad-22-more-victims