Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was grilled by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) during the public inquiry held Monday on the summary killings in Davao City.

Duterte categorically denied that the city government is sponsoring or supporting vigilante groups that have been accused of killing suspected criminals, including some minors.

Duterte asserted he is willing to resign and go to prison if these accusations are proven true.

He added that he himself is against vigilantism.

The CHR is alarmed over the unabated killings in Davao that happen even in broad daylight.

The killings are allegedly being perpetrated by the so-called Davao Death Squad.

Aside from Duterte, the CHR will also be questioning Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief  Jesus Verzosa, the chief of the National Bureau of Investigation-Region 11, Executive Judge Isaac Robillo of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 13, and the family of the victims of extra-judicial killings.

The CHR hopes that the inquiry will shed light on the killings in an effort to stop these incidents from happening again.

CHR chair Leila de Lima went to Davao to investigate hundreds of killings allegedly committed by the “Davao Death Squad".

De Lima said the CHR wants to determine if such a group exists, and if local officials can be held liable for failing to address the killings.

The CHR regional office has listed more than 300 summary killings from 2005 to January 2009.

Malacañang said it will cooperate with the CHR probe. -- reports from PAUL PALACIO, ABS-CBN Davao and ANC