Senators Grill 'Executioner’ Over Conflicting Statements
The newly organized Senate committee on justice and human rights grilled self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) hit man Edgar Matobato yesterday, putting his credibility as witness on the line in the inquiry on alleged extrajudicial killings.
After seeing many inconsistencies in the witness' statements, the committee agreed in the end to invite alleged DDS members, as identified by Matobato, to also testify in the next hearing.
At the start of yesterday's hearing, newly installed committee chairmen Sen. Richard Gordon and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano took turns in cross checking the details of Matobato's testimony in the previous hearing.
With a copy of the affidavit that Matobato executed before the National Bureau of Investigation when he was still under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice, Cayetano confronted the witness with the alleged killing of a terrorist identified as Sali Makdum.
Cayetano pointed out that Matobato and Makdum knew each other before he was killed and that they were business partners based on a report of CNN Philippines.
It was also reported that Matobato's wife and the wife of Makdum were cousins.
According to Matobato, he had real estate dealings with Makdum and that he only found out about him being a terrorist from the heinous crimes division of the Davao City police.
When asked if killing Makdum was ordered by President Duterte when he was still mayor of Davao City, Matobato said that the order did not come directly from Duterte, but from SPO4 Arthur Lascañas, whom he described as the head of DDS.
Cayetano pointed out the inconsistencies of Matobato's statements.
In the affidavit, Cayetano noted that Matobato saw a group of police men slitting the throat of Makdum before taking turns stabbing him.
But in his Senate testimony yesterday, Matobato said he and Lascañas hanged Makdum, then Lascañas chopped up Makdum's body.
At the start of yesterday's hearing, newly installed committee chairmen Sen. Richard Gordon and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano took turns in cross checking the details of Matobato's testimony in the previous hearing.
With a copy of the affidavit that Matobato executed before the National Bureau of Investigation when he was still under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice, Cayetano confronted the witness with the alleged killing of a terrorist identified as Sali Makdum.
Cayetano pointed out that Matobato and Makdum knew each other before he was killed and that they were business partners based on a report of CNN Philippines.
It was also reported that Matobato's wife and the wife of Makdum were cousins.
According to Matobato, he had real estate dealings with Makdum and that he only found out about him being a terrorist from the heinous crimes division of the Davao City police.
When asked if killing Makdum was ordered by President Duterte when he was still mayor of Davao City, Matobato said that the order did not come directly from Duterte, but from SPO4 Arthur Lascañas, whom he described as the head of DDS.
Cayetano pointed out the inconsistencies of Matobato's statements.
In the affidavit, Cayetano noted that Matobato saw a group of police men slitting the throat of Makdum before taking turns stabbing him.
But in his Senate testimony yesterday, Matobato said he and Lascañas hanged Makdum, then Lascañas chopped up Makdum's body.
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Also, in the case of a certain NBI agent known only as Amisola, whom Matobato claimed engaged 30 armed men in a firefight and was eventually shot dead by Duterte himself, Cayetano maintained that the narration was incredible.
According to Cayetano, it was hard to believe that 30 armed men were unable to put down a single person.
On Matobato’s claim that he was also involved in the killing of the bodyguards of former House speaker Prospero Nograles, Cayetano noted that in his affidavit, he claimed that several policemen gave the order to kill them, but in his testimony yesterday, he said the instruction came from Lascañas alone.
Gordon also noted that Matobato gave conflicting testimonies about whose men exactly they killed. Matobato explained that the bodyguards were men of generals Matillano and Jovito Palparan but were detailed to Nograles, who was running for mayor against Duterte.
Gordon also pointed out that Matobato's name was not in the Armed Forces of the Philippines' list of CAFGU. However, Matobato clarified that he was actually part of the Civilian Home Defense Forces (CHDF), CAFGU's predecessor, starting from 1982.
Matobato said in his testimony yesterday he decided to quit the DDS in September 2013 because he was already old and no longer wanted to take part in killings.
But Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III had relayed to him the claim of a regional adjudicator of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Davao that Matobato made an attempt to kill him in October 2014 in Davao.
Lacson said DAR’s Abeto Salcedo Jr. saw Matobato on television during the previous Senate hearing and recognized him right away as the person who tried to kill him.
Matobato denied the claim, insisting he was in Manila in 2014.
He was then asked by Cayetano if the affidavit he executed at the NBI was about the DDS, Matobato said it was about how he was tortured and not about the DDS.
Cayetano pointed out that the affidavit was full of details about the DDS, contrary to Matobato’s claim.
In the end, the committee agreed to summon the alleged DDS members named by Matobato, although invitation was already sent to 23 of them, when De Lima was still heading the committee.
To be summoned are: Lascañas, SPO4 Sanson Buenaventura; Chief Insps. Jacy Francia, Fulgencio Pavo and Ronald Lao; SPO3 Jim Tan, Jun Laresma and Donito Ubales; SPO2 Enrique de los Reyes Ayao; SPO1 Reynante Medina, Bienvenido Furog, Vivencio Jumawan, Jun Bisnar and Gaston Aquino; Senior Supts. Isidero Florivel/Florobel, Rey Capote, Tony Rivera and Dionisio Abude; and certain Bienvenido Laud, Alvin Laud, Roly Engalia and Arnold Ochavez.
According to Cayetano, it was hard to believe that 30 armed men were unable to put down a single person.
On Matobato’s claim that he was also involved in the killing of the bodyguards of former House speaker Prospero Nograles, Cayetano noted that in his affidavit, he claimed that several policemen gave the order to kill them, but in his testimony yesterday, he said the instruction came from Lascañas alone.
Gordon also noted that Matobato gave conflicting testimonies about whose men exactly they killed. Matobato explained that the bodyguards were men of generals Matillano and Jovito Palparan but were detailed to Nograles, who was running for mayor against Duterte.
Gordon also pointed out that Matobato's name was not in the Armed Forces of the Philippines' list of CAFGU. However, Matobato clarified that he was actually part of the Civilian Home Defense Forces (CHDF), CAFGU's predecessor, starting from 1982.
Matobato said in his testimony yesterday he decided to quit the DDS in September 2013 because he was already old and no longer wanted to take part in killings.
But Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III had relayed to him the claim of a regional adjudicator of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Davao that Matobato made an attempt to kill him in October 2014 in Davao.
Lacson said DAR’s Abeto Salcedo Jr. saw Matobato on television during the previous Senate hearing and recognized him right away as the person who tried to kill him.
Matobato denied the claim, insisting he was in Manila in 2014.
He was then asked by Cayetano if the affidavit he executed at the NBI was about the DDS, Matobato said it was about how he was tortured and not about the DDS.
Cayetano pointed out that the affidavit was full of details about the DDS, contrary to Matobato’s claim.
In the end, the committee agreed to summon the alleged DDS members named by Matobato, although invitation was already sent to 23 of them, when De Lima was still heading the committee.
To be summoned are: Lascañas, SPO4 Sanson Buenaventura; Chief Insps. Jacy Francia, Fulgencio Pavo and Ronald Lao; SPO3 Jim Tan, Jun Laresma and Donito Ubales; SPO2 Enrique de los Reyes Ayao; SPO1 Reynante Medina, Bienvenido Furog, Vivencio Jumawan, Jun Bisnar and Gaston Aquino; Senior Supts. Isidero Florivel/Florobel, Rey Capote, Tony Rivera and Dionisio Abude; and certain Bienvenido Laud, Alvin Laud, Roly Engalia and Arnold Ochavez.
source:philippinestar
Senators Grill 'Executioner’ Over Conflicting Statements
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