NGOS TO BLAME FOR DEATHS OF YOUTH OFFENDERS: MAYOR

DAVAO CITY -- Non-government organizations that "trivialize" crimes are as
guilty for the deaths of young criminals as the vigilantes who kill them,
claimed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

A day earlier, the shadowy vigilante group that has come to be known as the
Davao Death Squad (DDS) claimed its 44th victim, a fruit vendor identified
as Celito Rugay, 49, of Barangay Tugbok here.

Rugay was shot twice in the head by a man on a motorcycle late afternoon on
Saturday.

In explaining his contention, Duterte said in his television program "Gikan
sa Masa, Para sa Masa (From the Masses, For the Masses)" that organizations
that trivialize crimes committed by minors encourage the commission of
crimes. He did not name any NGO.

He accused some NGOs of being shams and whose intention in involving
themselves in the issue is to make money out of it.

"Dili lang mo bakakon, mga bastos mo. Hain man ang inyong mga kwarta?
Giunsa ninyo paggamit sa inyong funding?" Duterte asked. (You're not just
liars, you are also uncouth. Where's your money? How are you using your funds?)

The mayor claimed the NGOs are getting funds from international
organizations and are making an issue out of the series of summary
executions in Davao City to get more money from their foreign donors.

"What I do not like in particular is when these NGOs lie by claiming that
some of the victims as minors when in fact they are already of age,"
Duterte said.

Youth offenders

He cited in particular the Maraya brothers, Michael and Mark, who,
according to the mayor, had a long list of brushes against the law.

Duterte read on public some of the Maraya brothers' infractions, among them
murder, robbery, theft, illegal possession of deadly weapons and physical
injury.

The mayor also read the names of other youth offenders who had committed
the crimes along with the Maraya brothers.

He called on the NGOs to take action now before more youth offenders
followed the Maraya brothers to the grave.

Brothers Michael, 17, and Mark Maraya, 19, were gunned down by
motorcycle-riding gunmen last July 4 at around 10 am in Barangay Duterte.

"Kamong mga NGOs, paminaw mo kay mangamatay ni kung dili ninyo tabangan.
Mga NGOs unsa'y ginahimo ninyo ani? Panarbaho mo. (NGOs, listen, because
these boys will die if you will not help them. What are you doing about
this? You do your work). I know you have millions in funding," Duterte said.

At the same time, the mayor warned youth offenders to reform now or suffer
a fate similar to the Maraya brothers.

"Kay basi sa ulahing police blotter kamo na ang nahimong biktima didto (You
just might be the names in the latest police blotter report)," Duterte ended.

Latest victim

Investigation on the latest summary execution conducted by police showed
that the victim, Rugay, was walking toward his jeep from a cockpit arena in
Mintal when approached by the unidentified gunman from behind.

The gunman shot Rugay twice on the head, causing his immediate death, and
then ran toward his waiting companions on two motorcycles.

"Bale duha ka-motor ang gigamit, kada isa ka-motor, naay sakay tig-tulo
apil na ang driver, pero isa alang ng nagpusil (They used two motorcycles.
Each motorcycle had three people including the driver, but only one shot
the victim)," said Senior Police Officer 1 Winefredo Dutaro.

Police recovered two empty shells of caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

The victim's brother (name not identified) insisted Rugay was not involved
in drug-related activities.

But it was learned that Rugay had allegedly killed a civilian home defense
force (CHDF) in Mintal in 1984.

"Naa ko'y impormasyon na kadtong 1984, dili pa ko pulis anang panahauna nga
nakapatay daw na sa Mintal pero nakagawas sa prisohan kay naareglo ang kaso
(I received information that he killed a CHDF member in 1984, I wasn't a
policeman then. It was said that he was released from jail after an
amicable settlement)," Dutaro added.

Rugay then transferred to Palawan where he got married after he was
released, but later returned.

The Mintal police are conducting further investigation to identify the suspect.