"Mass grave" para umano sa mga biktima ng EJK, tinalakay nina dating Senador Leila de Lima at Rep. Raoul Manuel sa pagdinig ng House QuadComm ngayong Martes, October 22, 2024.
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00:00I was told about the Quarry Mass Grave and if I think about it, this is not appropriate, Mr. Chair.
00:08So, I apologize to our countrymen who might be eating at this time while watching the Quadcomme Hearing.
00:18Mr. Chair, do you have a description of how the Quarry Mass Grave was facilitated?
00:30How does it work? How are these mass graves handled?
00:39Mr. Chair, Your Honors,
00:41It is part of the organizational structure of the DDS.
00:46As we saw earlier, there is this SPO4 Bienvenido Laud as team handler and in charge of the Laud Quarry Mass Grave.
00:55There is also SPO3 Jim Tan as team handler and in charge of the Mandug Mass Grave.
01:03When we were investigating in 2009, we were told that there are such mass graves where the victims of the DDS were thrown.
01:17We tried to go to the Laud Quarry, but when we got there, it seems that we could not reach the exact location
01:29because the Laud property is a hilly part, like a hill.
01:35We thought that up to a certain point, we could only see a few human remains, skulls,
01:45but we learned later that the mass graves of that property were not there.
01:52It was in a higher portion of the Laud property where the majority of the victims were thrown.
02:03So there are actually several mass graves from various sources.
02:08Laud, Mandug Mass Grave, and also in Samal Island.
02:13Those are the information that we got.
02:16So we actually applied for a search warrant, but then an RTC of Manila, Manila or Quezon City, I'm not sure anymore,
02:29later reversed the quashal of the search warrant of the Court of Appeals.
02:39And then eventually, the Supreme Court in 2014 affirmed the validity of the search warrant
02:48or affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals.
02:51However, there was no follow-up implementation of the warrant of arrest either by CHR or by PNP
03:01because I think, because by 2014, so far as CHR is concerned, its investigation closed already
03:10when it submitted or issued its resolution of June 2012.
03:19So there was no follow-up of those mass graves.
03:28Mr. Chair, you mentioned three locations of mass graves.
03:35During the course of the investigation of Senator Laila as the former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights,
03:44is there a credible estimate of how many mass graves were facilitated by the Davao Death Squad as part of the War on Drugs?
03:59It was difficult to really determine, to come up with a credible figure.
04:05What I remember is that Edgar Mato Bato also said something about that.
04:12I'm not sure if he actually mentioned any number with respect to his knowledge of the mass graves.
04:22In fact, in some of those, he was really a participant in the burial, along with the other members of DDS.
04:32So I have to check from Mr. Mato Bato's affidavit and also his testimony before the Senate
04:42if he really mentioned an estimate of the number.
04:47But again, I think it would be difficult really to get an estimate of how many were buried there.
04:57Thank you, Mr. Chair.
04:58But Mr. Chair, so far we know that there are at least three mass graves. Is that correct?
05:06Yes.
05:07Thank you, Mr. Chair.