Ex-officer in Philippines says he led death squad at Rodrigo Duterte’s behest

MANILA, Philippines — A retired police officer wracked with guilt over the murders of two of his own brothers has reversed himself and confessed to leading the Philippine death squad that killed them, saying he was acting on the direct orders of Rodrigo Duterte before he became president.

The former officer, Arthur Lascañas, said at a news conference Monday Duterte had sponsored the killings of drug and crime suspects while he was mayor of the southern city of Davao. Lascañas now has become the second professed hit man to level such accusations against Duterte.

At least 3,600 people, and possibly thousands more, have been killed by police or vigilantes since Duterte became president in June. Rights groups have said the police may have ordered the extrajudicial killings of drug dealers and users, a charge zofficials have denied. Duterte’s spokesman, Martin Andanar, on Monday dismissed Lascañas’ allegations as “part of a protracted political drama” intended to undermine the president’s leadership.

Lascañas, 56, said that he was the leader of the Davao Death Squad, a group that he said Duterte had formed to go after small-time drug dealers and petty criminals but that later evolved into a force to eliminate political opponents.

He is the second person claiming membership in the squad to speak out against Duterte, bolstering the explosive testimony of another professed hit man, Edgar Matobato, who has been in hiding since last year, when he linked the president to the killings. On Monday, Lascañas broke down in tears and said Matobato’s accusations were true.

“We started the salvaging of people when Mayor Duterte first sat down as mayor in Davao City,” he said. “The people we targeted are criminals and were into illegal drugs. We were implementing the personal orders of Duterte.”