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| Philippine President Duterte 'ordered political rivals killed' | Philippine President Duterte 'ordered political rivals killed' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the murder of political opponents while mayor of Davao, a former death squad member has alleged. | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the murder of political opponents while mayor of Davao, a former death squad member has alleged. |
| Edgar Matobato told a Senate hearing he and others killed about 1,000 people over a 25-year period. | Edgar Matobato told a Senate hearing he and others killed about 1,000 people over a 25-year period. |
| He gave gruesome details of gangland-style hits, including feeding one victim to a crocodile. | He gave gruesome details of gangland-style hits, including feeding one victim to a crocodile. |
| Mr Duterte's spokesman rejected the allegations, saying investigations into his time as mayor had gone nowhere. | Mr Duterte's spokesman rejected the allegations, saying investigations into his time as mayor had gone nowhere. |
| Mr Matobato, 57, said he was a member of the Davao Death Squad, a notorious vigilante group allegedly responsible for hundreds of killings. | Mr Matobato, 57, said he was a member of the Davao Death Squad, a notorious vigilante group allegedly responsible for hundreds of killings. |
| "Our job was to kill criminals like drug pushers, rapists, snatchers," he said. | "Our job was to kill criminals like drug pushers, rapists, snatchers," he said. |
| But he also claimed that Mr Duterte's opponents were targeted too, including four bodyguards of a local rival for mayor, Prospero Nograles. | But he also claimed that Mr Duterte's opponents were targeted too, including four bodyguards of a local rival for mayor, Prospero Nograles. |
| Mosque attack | Mosque attack |
| Victims would be shot or strangled he said, with some disembowelled and dumped into the sea so fish could eat them. | Victims would be shot or strangled he said, with some disembowelled and dumped into the sea so fish could eat them. |
| He told the Senate panel he went from a witness protection programme into hiding when Mr Duterte became president, fearing for his life. | He told the Senate panel he went from a witness protection programme into hiding when Mr Duterte became president, fearing for his life. |
| Mr Matobato also alleged Mr Duterte ordered the bombing of a mosque in retaliation for an attack on Davao Cathedral in 1993. | |
| On this claim Mr Duterte's spokesman said "I don't think he is capable of giving those orders". | On this claim Mr Duterte's spokesman said "I don't think he is capable of giving those orders". |
| Prospero Nograles' son Karlo, a Davao city representative, denied Mr Matobato's account relating to his father's bodyguards. | Prospero Nograles' son Karlo, a Davao city representative, denied Mr Matobato's account relating to his father's bodyguards. |
| "I don't know what this guy is talking about. | "I don't know what this guy is talking about. |
| "I can only suspect that this guy is being manipulated by some people to only serve their own selfish interests," he wrote on Facebook. | "I can only suspect that this guy is being manipulated by some people to only serve their own selfish interests," he wrote on Facebook. |
| Mr Duterte became mayor of Davao in 1988, and his tough stance saw crime rates plummet, an approach he has vowed to replicate at national level. | Mr Duterte became mayor of Davao in 1988, and his tough stance saw crime rates plummet, an approach he has vowed to replicate at national level. |
| Since his election this year more than 3,000 drug users and dealers have been killed amid international alarm over human rights violations. | Since his election this year more than 3,000 drug users and dealers have been killed amid international alarm over human rights violations. |
| But Mr Duterte has dismissed concerns over his drugs policies, calling UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "a fool" and referring to US President Barack Obama as a "son of a whore", something he later said he regretted. | But Mr Duterte has dismissed concerns over his drugs policies, calling UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "a fool" and referring to US President Barack Obama as a "son of a whore", something he later said he regretted. |