(Eagle News) — The retired policeman who denied the existence of the Davao Death Squad in a Senate hearing last year has retracted his statement, saying he took part in some of the alleged group’s killings when President Rodrigo Duterte was mayor of Davao.
In a press conference in the Senate on Monday, SP03 Arthur Lascañas said the “anticrime group” was instructed personally by Duterte to “seek vengeance for the bombing of the San Pedro Cathedral by bombing the Muslim mosques within the (area of responsibility) of Davao City.”
Lascañas was presented to the media by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the Free Legal Assistance Group.
According to the retired police officer, for the “operation,” their group was divided into three other teams.
The team he belonged to in particular, according to him, was led by SP04 Dick Loribel, and had as other members SP04 Boy Pavo, and “a rebel returnee we call a force multiplier.”
“We bombed the Camamara mosque with a grenade,”Lascañas recounted, adding that the group of Edgar Matobato, who told senators in the same Senate hearing that the DDS existed, for their part, went to a “different corner” of the city.
Lascañas said they stopped the operation after they were told to do such by their task group commander–one Major Macasaet.
He said this was after former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel issued a statement a day after the “bombing” that there was “anarchy” in Davao.
“And then (after) several days, (Major) Macasaet gave us P200,000, and he said (Duterte) had P300,000—P200,000 for us, and P100,000 for him,” he said.
In the press conference, the retired police officer also admitted he took part in the “massacre of an entire family” from General Santos City, and in the killings of journalist Jun Pala, and a former member of the Philippine Constabulary.
He said the massacre of the family of one Mr. Papasaha, the alleged financier and mastermind in the abduction of a Mrs. Abaca from Davao “20 plus years ago,” took place upon the approval of Duterte in one of their meetings.
“Major Macasaet commented that it was positive, that this subject was involved in kidnapping, and that he should be erased. Erase everything, meaning kill already. Kill all. It was here when (Duterte) gave a go-signal and he said, ‘OK. Just make it clean,'” he said.
Lascañas said Duterte had hired him through his trusted aide and driver, SP04 Sonny Buenaventura, to kill Pala for P3 million.
“(Buenaventura) said (Duterte) was very very angry with (Pala) because of his attacks against (the then-mayor) everyday over the radio,” he said.
‘Character assassination’
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar for his part dismissed Lascañas allegations, saying he was “part of a protracted political drama aimed to destroy the President and to topple his administration.”
“Our people are aware that this character assassination is nothing but vicious politics orchestrated by actors affected by the reforms initiated by the Duterte administration,” he said.
Andanar told CNN Philippines that he received reports that “as much as $1000” were distributed to reporters for them to cover the press conference, but he “(did not know) if (the money) was accepted.”
“The noise made in social media about the alleged wealth of our President, and now the (DDS), all of these are rehashed…For me, this is in preparation for the protest rally they are planning this coming February 25,” he said.
He noted that the Commission on Human Rights, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Senate Committee on Justice have already cleared Duterte on the issue of extrajudicial killings and the DDS.
“Bringing change is not an easy task. The Duterte administration has disrupted the establishment. However, we remain undistracted in delivering goods and services to serve the people, not just the interests of the few,” he added.
