Murder in Mindanao

Killings by death squads is on the rise again in Mindanao in the south of the Philippines according to Human Rights Watch. Their report "You Can Die Any Time" details the involvement of the police and local authorities in the killings of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals, street children and others.
In the 1980's Davao, the biggest city of Mindanao was already famous for its death squads. For some days in 1988 I followed the activities of the Tadtad (chop chop). They liked to kill their victims, labour activists, students, communists, with their manchetes.
The picture is of some of their victims laid out on the lawn of the police headquarters in Davao.
The story with more pictures can be read (in Dutch) on the photoq website.

© Kees Metselaar 1988