Senators have debated over the matter, but in the end, have decided to hear once again the "revelations" of a former police officer linked to an alleged liquidation squad.
Sen. Ping Lacson said on Tuesday that the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which he chairs, would be pushing through on Monday with a probe into the "new" claims of retired SPO3 Arthur Lascañas.
Lascañas said: Matobato was telling the truth
Last week, Lascañas claimed that he was the leader of the so-called Davao Death Squad or DDS, and that then Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte had paid them to kill drug criminals — and later on, the mayor's enemies.
This was in stark contrast to what he told the Senate in October last year that the so-called death squad did not exist at all.
Second time around
For the hearing next week, Lacson said his committee would also invite representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and former police chiefs of Davao City.
The senator said he would be requiring the CHR to bring documents pertaining to their investigation on the DDS, if it existed — at least when Duterte was the city mayor.
The Senate probe was finally scheduled after some senators raised arms over having Lascañas again — this time with a recantation.
Sen. Tito Sotto noted that the Justice committee had already concluded last November that the DDS did not exist. Sen. Dick Gordon, who came out with that report, fumed that accommodating Lascañas for the second time was an insult to the Senate — since he had lied to the lawmakers the first time around.
So stupid senators of the Philippines!
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