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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Monday, March 6, 2017
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MANILA – Retired policeman Arturo Lascañas will face the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs today, March 6.
On Feb. 20, Lascañas admitted during a hastily-called press briefing at the Senate that he was the leader of the shadowy “Davao Death Squad” (DDS).
The former Davao City cop also accused President Rodrigo Duterte of paying policemen between P20,000 to P100,000 to kill drug suspects.
His revelation, however, is an abrupt turnaround from his October 2015 Senate testimony when he denied the allegations made by Edgar Matobato, who linked him to the vigilante group.
Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aguirre Aquino IV said Lascañas, who retired from the service in December last year, should explain why he retracted his previous statements.
“The Senate should not shirk from pursuing the truth. Kailangan malaman ng taunbayan ang buong katotohanan sa isyung ito,” Aquino said.
His “heavy allegations” against Duterte warrant a Senate investigation, according to him.
Sen. Richard Gordon earlier delivered a privileged speech questioning the second chance given to a witness who lied under oath.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, said the Lascañas probe will be an “insult” to the Senate committee on justice that led the previous hearings.
“Alam natin na kapag sinabing reopen, ang committee na may original jurisdiction, ‘yun ang magre-reopen. That has been the Senate tradition,” he said.
The Senate inquiry on Lascañas proceeded after 10 solons – senators Franklin Drilon, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes, Francis Pangilinan, Francis Escudero, Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, and Ralph Recto – voted to hear Lascañas’ confession.
Opposing the reopening of the DDS probe were Senators Koko Pimentel, Richard Gordon, Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Manny Pacquiao, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Gregorio Honasan II.
Senators Panfilo Lacson, Nancy Binay, Loren Legarda, Vicente Sotto, and JV Ejercito abstained from voting./PN
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