(Eagle News) – Self-confessed hired killer Edgar Matobato filed on Friday (December 9) a formal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against President Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, and the President’s son, Davao City vice-mayor Paolo Duterte for their alleged involvement in the Davao Death Squad.
Matobato, who was earlier presented by Senator Leila de Lima in senate hearings on extrajudicial killings, insisted in his complaint before the Ombudsman that Duterte had cleared all of the operations of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) at the time when he was still the city mayor.
In his complaint, Matobato accused the President of murder, kidnapping, violation of Republic Act No. 9745 or the Anti-Torture Act, and violations of R.A. No. 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity. Dela Rosa was included in the complaint for being the Davao City police chief at the time.
The complaint was filed with the office of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales after a joint panel in the Senate recommended the filing of criminal charges for perjury and murder against Matobato for the murder of a certain Sali Makdum. Matobato had earlier admitted to killing Makdum, a suspected international terrorist, during the Senate inquiry on alleged extrajudicial killings.
After the Senate report was released pinning down Matobato for perjury and murder, he in turn went to the Ombudsman to file his complaint against the President himself on Friday.
Ombudsman Morales is a known critic of the President, particularly his decision to bury the late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
In his affidavit, Matobato claimed Mayor Duterte then allegedly “cleared” all of the DDS operations.
“Siya (Duterte) ang nag-uutos sa pagpatay. Kapag kilala ang biktima o big-time, pumupunta si Duterte sa Laud Quarry para siguraduhin na ‘yun nga ang target at para manood sa pag-chop-chop ng bangkay,” Matobato said in his affidavit.
He also included SPO3 Arthur Lascanas, Duterte’s alleged “second-in-command” at the DDS, and former policeman Bienvenido Laud in his complaint.
In its report, however, the Senate joint panel that investigated alleged extrajudicial killings in the country, stressed Matobato was not reliable as a witness, describing his testimonies as “full of inconsistencies and contradictions.”
“Obviously, Edgar Matobato was presented to implicate President Duterte in the spate of killings, following his order to the police to ‘kill’ drug suspects,” it said.
“Unfortunately, Matobato is not a credible witness and his tale is just too tall to be believed to implicate the President in the rash of killings not all of which are attributable to the police,” the Senate report further said.
This recommendation was part of an 86-page report prepared by the Senate committees on justice and human rights, and public order and dangerous drugs. It was signed by 11 senators.
“The committee recommends the filing of criminal charges against Matobato for perjury and the murder of Sali Makdum and should order the investigation of the remains of Sali Makdum,” the report said.
Matobato was accompanied by his lawyer, Atty, Jude Sabio when he filed his complaint against the President, Dela Rosa, and his men at the Ombudsman.
Under the Constitution, the President has immunity from suit.
This is however being questioned by Senator De Lima in a “test case” — a petition for habeas data — she had filed before the Supreme Court against Duterte. De Lima was the senator who presented Matobato at the senate hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings of the Duterte administration when she still headed the senate committee on justice and human rights.