Slaughter of Innocents

AT GLANCE: In our previous posts, we have already mentioned the supposed existence of Davao Death Squad (DDS) and Dadiangas Death Squad (DDS). However, in the continuing murders of crime suspects in Mindanao, another group, Cotabato Death Squad (CDS), is reported to have been responsible in murdering two persons whose corpses were recovered along a river in Cotabato City on June 9. The CDS, however, if indeed it existed has had similar motivation to others responsible in pattern of murders there.

Victim: two unidentified men. Their dead bodies were found along the Reo Grande De Mindanao River in Cotabato, Central Mindanao
Date: 9 June 2008 at 7am

The two unidentified men, who were reported to have been victims of summary executions, were found dead along a river in Cotabato.

One of the victims is described around 25 to 30 years old, dark complexion, 5’4 feet tall and has long hair. His body, which bores gunshot wounds, was tied with a nylon cord.

The other victim, decsribed as 16 to 20 years old, white complexion and 5’2 feet tall, had stabbed wounds on his back and gunshot wounds to his chest./Super Balita

However, even before the circumstances of the victims’ deaths and their identities are established, the head of the Cotabato City Police Office (CCPO), Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane, had already claimed one of the suspects had been involved in thefts and that he has pending murder case.

Dangane has claimed that someone, whom they did not identify nor mentioned to what circumstance he/she had been able to identify the victim, came forwards and had been able to identify one of the victims.

The victims were also reported could have been killed supposedly by a vigilante group Cotabato Death Squad, a group whose existence is doubtful and unknown. There were allegations however regarding the existence of this group; and that they were responsible in several cases of murders of persons involved in criminal activities.