CASE SAYS JUSTICE ELUSIVE FOR VICTIMS

A convenor of the Coalition Against Summary Execution (CASE) lost hope
that victims of summary killings in the city will see justice,
especially those coming from the urban poor families.

Bernie Mondragon, executive director of the Kabataan Consortium, a
non-government organization that caters to the youth from urban poor
communities, told the Mindanao Times it is clear hitmen are drawing
their strength from the posture of the city government against petty
crimes and illegal drugs.

He said the use of due process to reform suspected criminals is no
longer the order of the day.

"For as long as the city goverment regards killing as the solution to
crime, summary executions will not be solved. It has become a mark of
this government. Without killings, this government will lose its
identity," he said.

Mondragon said with the executive department's pronouncements and
reactions towards summary executions, the killings become a policy in
itself.

"It is as if the killers are drawing their inspiration from this type
of governance," he said.

Mondragon believes that if the city government will issue a
categorical statement rejecting summary execution, killings will stop.

"We want to hear that from the executive department of the city," he
said.

Mondragon also said the current situation is not favorable for
witnesses to come out because they are afraid of the people who are
supposed to protect them.

He said that CASE needs to make more people understand that killings
is not the right approach to peace and order.

"Killings have again polarized our way of life. People only act when
they are the ones affected," Mondragon said.

He said the government would probably act against the killings only
when more innocent victims are killed, and more members of prominent
families are involved.

The CASE has recorded 300 cases of killings in the city since 1997, of
which 63 cases happened this year.

Mothers Cry Justice

Six mothers of victims of the summary executions dared the Davao City
Police Office to present to the public Romeo Taysa, a suspected hitman
who was arrested by Cafgu members of the Task Force Davao, after
gunning down Hilario Daylo a public utility van dispatcher at the
Davao City Overland Transport Terminal on August 12.

In a press briefing at the Phil. Information Agency (PIA) they
challenged Davao City police director Sr. Supt Conrado Laza to present
the suspected hitman for other witnesses of summary executions to identify.

They also urged those who are in conflict with the law to leave Davao
City while they can, stressing that due process of law does not work
here anymore for those who would like to reform under the current
leadership.