De Lima testifies Duterte’s drug war modeled after Davao Death Squad

Former Senator Leila de Lima testified before a House Quad Committee hearing, alleging that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s national drug war was modeled after the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and its reward system.

During her tenure as CHR chairperson from 2008 to 2010, De Lima discovered that police officials were paid PHP15,000 for each killing with rewards varying based on targets' status. She referred to this practice as the 'Davao Model'.

De Lima detailed how during Duterte's presidency, trusted police officers from Davao City were appointed to key positions in major urban cities to replicate the Davao death squad model nationwide.

The former senator also highlighted findings of the CHR investigation into DDS and testimonies by Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas corroborating the existence of a structured state-backed death squad led by Duterte.

She urged legislators to take heed of these findings for accountability regarding extrajudicial killings during Duterte's drug war.