Victims Of Davao Summary Killings Unearthed At Laud Shooting Range

The Commission on Human Rights has unearthed dead bodies, said to be victims of summary executions right at the Laud Shooting Range in Maa, Davao City. Team member Atty. Eduardo Villena said a team under the CIDG is in charge of digging the area so they could not give any details yet as it is on-going.

Barangay Maa secretary Edgar Jose Balasa said he is not aware of anything going on in the area and all he knows it that it is a firing range owned by retired police Bienvenido Laud who is the younger brother of Maa Barangay Captain Loreto Laud, Jr.

In a letter addressed to the CHR authorities, landowner Bienvenido Laud, Jr. said he has authorized his lawyers Atty. Juan R. Zamora and Atty. Victorio Advincula to "negotiate and have a dialogue with the CHR" in connection with the search warrant issued against him.

"I never allowed nor consented to the implementation of the said search warrant," Laud said. Villena however said there is no need to get the consent of an individual when there is a valid search warrant.

The entrance to the Laud Firing Range is presently being manned by the military on a 24-hour basis and no one is as yet allowed to go inside the area.(thanks to Ms. Ethel Constantino of NBN for the photos)