Press Release
July 29, 2017

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on the "Bangkay sa Bangka" modus to conceal drug killings
Dispatch from Crame No. 128

I have received reports, same as the one reported by Al Jazeera in its article yesterday ("Philippine police 'dumping bodies' of drug war victims"), that some fishermen were hired by police authorities to dispose bodies in the Manila Bay--bodies of suspected drug offenders killed in the Duterte regime's War on Drugs.

It can be recalled that this is the same pattern of killings that Davao Death Squad (DDS) insider, Edgar Matobato, confessed to the Senate. Per Matobato's testimony, aside from dumping dead bodies at the Laud / Ma-a Quarry Davao City, they also disposed bodies in the deep waters of Samal Island.

This is clearly part of President Duterte's promise that "he will kill drug pushers and do-nothings, dump them in Manila Bay and fatten all the fish there."

Kailan lang, mayroon ding naiulat na ginagamit ang mga ospital para itago ang mga pagpatay. Ngayon naman, ang isa pang modus: "Bangkay sa Bangka".

No wonder the number of deaths in the War on Drugs has not been updated or altogether been kept from the public. Extrajudicial killings are still happening in the streets, but this time, mass murder by rogue police officers and hired assailants is done through another strategy to hide the real magnitude of EJKs. This also signals a new policy of the police: getting rid of bodies to get away with murder.

It was also not long ago when a South Korean businessman was forcibly taken and killed by police officers under the guise of a drug arrest in what came to be known as "Tokhang-for-ransom". His body cremated and his remains flushed down the toilet.

In connection to this "Bangkay sa Bangka," I will be filing a Senate Resolution calling for an investigation on this deplorable practice, and put an end to these brazen acts of killings and desecrating bodies.

In his 2nd SONA, Duterte vowed to continue his regime's unrelenting War on Drugs. Katumbas ito ng pagpapatuloy ng walang habas na patayan at karahasan ng DDS sa Davao noon, na ginagawa na rin ngayon sa buong Pilipinas.

Nasaan ang konsensya niyo, Ginoong Pangulo?"

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