CALLS MATOBATO A LIAR
Retiring police officer denies being DDS leader, Duterte’s ‘second-in-command’
The retiring police official tagged as the alleged leader of the infamous Davao Death Squad denied that such group existed in Davao City.
At the resumption of the Senate hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings on Monday, SPO3 Arthur Lascañas admitted knowing self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato, who has stood as witness in previous hearings.
Lascañas said he knew Matobato because they sold land properties together. He also confirmed that in his knowledge, the former was part of the Scout Rangers.
In earlier proceedings, Matobato tagged Lascañas as the supposed "team leader" of the death squad, adding that the police official was close to President Rodrigo Duterte when the latter was still mayor of Davao City.
The hitman, a self-confessed member of the DDS, said orders to kill went through Lascañas.
But Lascañas, who is due to retire later this year, denied the existence of the DDS, as well as Matobato's claim that he was Duterte's right-hand man.
"Wala pong DDS, media hype lang 'yan," Lascañas said during the interpellation by Sen. Leila de Lima. He would repeat this during the questioning.
Lascañas also denied the so-called "Lambada Boys," or the group Matobato said would eventually become the DDS.
During the questioning, De Lima quoted Matobato as saying that Lascañas and Sonny Buenaventura, Duterte's former driver-bodyguard, were the President's "second-in-command" when he was still mayor.
"Inaamin n'yo ba na kayo ang pinaka-close kay Mayor Duterte? Na sabi ni Matobato ang trato sa inyo ni Mayor Duterte ay like his very own brother?" De Lima asked.
Lascañas replied: "Excuse me for my word, pero hindi totoo 'yan. Sinungaling si Edgar."
De Lima, in turn, said, "Conclusion n'yo po 'yan. Puwede ring sabihin ni Matobato na sinungaling ka. Kaya 'wag muna tayo mag-ano ng ganiyang statement. Kaya po tinatanong ko kayo, para malaman natin ano ang sinabi na totoo o hindi ni Matobato."
She then asked: "Sa inyo daw po dumadaan ang mga order sa pagpatay sa DDS?"
Lascañas responded: "Hindi po totoo."
Post a Comment