Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo today created a fact-finding team to investigate former mayor and now Davao City vice-mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged human rights violations by forcing a detained suspect last Tuesday to eat and swallow a fake land title he allegedly used in duping informal settlers in the city, purportedly to grant lots for just P250 each.

“I have ordered the creation of a fact-finding team which will include DILG officials from Region 11 to get to the bottom of the case. I can understand the cries against Duterte’s human rights violations but he must also be subjected through the legal process,” the DILG chief said.

“As of now, we have not yet received a formal complaint against vice-mayor Duterte and we have to have that complaint against him before we can act on the matter. Like any other accused local government official, he has to go through the legal process,” the DILG chief said.

Suspected swindler named Manolito Gayas was arrested on Monday (July 9) based on complaints by some Davao City-based informal settlers who claimed he peddled counterfeit documents, promising lots in the city in exchange for money.

In allegedly swindling his victims, Gayas claimed that he owns a foundation that “owns the entire Philippines,” even presenting a fake Supreme Court decision about his claims.

Last Tuesday, Duterte reportedly visited Gayas inside his detention cell in the city and forced the latter to eat his fake documents.

The incident caused a howl of protest from human rights advocates, including Human Rights Commissioner Etta Rosales and Tagbilaran Bishop Leonardo Medroso, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Canon Law.

“I understand and sympathize with the concerns and cries of human rights groups and advocates. But we first need to have the formal complaint of Mr. Gayas and the side of vice mayor Duterte before we can make our conclusions and recommendations on the matter,” Robredo said.

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