Ping tosses Lascañas testimony to CHR, PNP
Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said pursuing leads for possible investigation regarding the claims of retired Senior Police Officer 3 Arthur Lascañas before the Senate inquiry will be up to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Lacson is chairman of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which conducted on Monday an inquiry into Lascañas’ allegations that President Duterte ordered the killing of hundreds of people, including broadcaster Jun Pala in 2003, through the alleged Davao death squad (DDS).
Lascañas said Duterte ordered the killings even if some of the victims were innocent or happened to be with their targets of assassination.
The inquiry, however, only lasted for one hearing, as the committee adjourned owing to questions on Lascañas’ credibility despite protests from some senators, including Francis Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV.
“But if they (CHR and PNP) were not able to prosecute when he ( Duterte) was still (Davao City) mayor, I cannot see how they can do it now (that he’s President),” Lacson told reporters.
Lacson said he was reluctant to hold the hearing, as the DDS issue has already been taken up by the Senate committee on justice, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, last year and a committee report had been presented to the plenary.
“Now that he’s the President, they want to hold him accountable. Is it only for the purpose of making him criminally liable or is this part of something else?” Lacson asked rhetorically.
During the hearing of the justice panel in October 2016, Lascañas denied the existence of the DDS and denied Duterte’s involvement in the extrajudicial killings in Davao City.
Last Feb. 20, Lascañas made a “public confession” in a press conference at the Senate, saying he has had a “spiritual renewal” and decided to tell all.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said the Senate was apparently being used to destabilize the administration even as he expressed belief that Lascañas only wanted to get back at Duterte after his attempts to enter into government contracts after his retirement last December failed. Hearing should continue
Meanwhile, Pangilinan and Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, both of the Liberal Party, have called for the DDS hearing to continue in order to tie up all the loose ends and complete the entire picture, especially if new witnesses are available to corroborate Lascañas’ testimony.
Lacson adjourned the hearing last Monday after Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III made a motion to adjourn, which was not objected to by any senator.
Trillanes said he still has other witnesses to present before the committee.
Aquino said that the personalities mentioned by Lascañas last Monday, foremost of whom was SPO4 Sanson Buenaventura, said to be then Davao City mayor Duterte’s driver and bodyguard, should be invited to give their sides.
Aquino said that the PNP should also be asked to return
and present their detailed report on the cases of killings recorded in Davao City, which were allegedly perpetrated by the DDS.
“So, we need to see if there were actually these people who were killed or if they are missing or what their actual status is,” Aquino said.
The CHR should also report on their findings regarding the Laud Quarry, where the bodies of the individuals killed by the DDS were allegedly dumped, according to Aquino.
“(W)e should check (the quarry) because we can’t just ignore this, considering there is a claim that 200 bodies are buried there,” Aquino said.
Bato mum on Lascañas’ claims
PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa refused to comment on the testimony of Lascañas, who claimed he was in contact with the then Davao police chief during two DDS operations, in Monday’s Senate inquiry on alleged death squad killings in Davao City.
“No comment ako ( I have no comment),” Dela Rosa said when sought by reporters for his side on the issue. He did not even want to give Lascañas any message.
“Hindi ko kayo tatakbuhan. Hihintayin ko lang muna ‘yung sinasabi (napapatawag ng Senate). (Baka sabihin ng mga senador) ngak ngak ka nang ngak ngak sa media, hindi mo naman sinasabi sa amin sa Senado, dapat dito mo sinasabi sa amin (I won’t run away from you. I just have to wait for the Senate’s call. The senators might accuse me of making noise to the media, without giving them first my testimony),” Dela Rosa, who begged off to discuss the matter for the first time, said.
Even before his appointment as PNP chief, Dela Rosa had been very vocal on police matters.
Dela Rosa said he would just give his statement when sought by the senators involved in the inquiry.
“The Senate is conducting an investigation; I’d rather avoid possibly giving inconsistent statements,” he pointed out.
Dela Rosa admitted knowing Lascañas as an ordinary police officer.
The PNP chief also refused to react on the allegation that Lascañas’ decision to retract his earlier statement about DDS was part of his spiritual awakening.
Lascañas, who claimed to have been a member and leader of the DDS, told senators that he communicated with Dela Rosa during the kidnapping and killing of Sali Makdum and the police operation against Felicisimo Cunanan Jr., one of the most wanted individuals in Davao del Sur.
Lascañas said that then supt. Dela Rosa got mad at Edgar Matobato, who also claimed to have been a member of the DDS, after Makdum’s wife filed a complaint with the disbanded Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.
Makdum’s wife alleged that Lascañas’ group asked for ransom payment from the family of Makdum, a foreign terrorist who was apprehended on Samal Island. The incident prompted her to file a complaint.
Lascañas defended Matobato, saying the latter was not the one who asked for money, but his group.