Senator Antonio Trillanes IV announced on Thursday that he would surrender confessed assassin Edgar Matobato to the police as soon as they receive the warrant of arrest issued against him by a Davao court.
Trillanes said he was informed that the arrest order, in connection with the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition filed against Matobato in 2014, was already given to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Mayroon na ngayong warrant na ibinigay sa Philippine National Police at yung Philippine National Police ay baka hinahanap nila si Mr. Matobato,” he said at a press conference in the Senate.
“Ako, I’m announcing it now na ako ang naghahawak ng kanyang custody and security so pwede nyong ipadaan sa akin ang warrant at ako na ang magpapaabot sa kanya para hindi nyo na kailangang hanapin pa at para wala ng untoward incident,” the senator said.
Trillanes has taken custody of Matobato, who testified in the ongoing investigation of the Senate committee on justice and human rights on the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.
Matobato, who claimed to be a former member of the Davao Death Squad, has accused President Rodrio Duterte of allegedly ordering the killings of criminals and enemies when the latter was still mayor of Davao City.
READ: ‘Duterte ordered us to kill’
“As soon as ma receive ko yung warrant of arrest na yun, itu-turn over namin kaagad formally kay General Dela Rosa or his representative si Mr. Matobato sa headquarters ng PNP sa Camp Crame. So as soon as maibigay at ma-receive namin yung warrant of arrest, itu-turn over namin sya,” Trillanes said.
The senator said the court ordered Matobato’s arrest after the latter failed to show up on Tuesday’s arraignment of his case.
But Trillanes has sought for understanding from the judge handling the case, saying that Matobato could not just attend the arraignment because he just changed his lawyer and he was supposed to testify again that day in the Senate hearing.
The senator also questioned the timing of the arrest order, saying it was “highly suspicious.”
“Highly suspicious naman itong timing kasi two years na itong tumatakbo then nag set sila ng arraignment last Tuesday na may schedule naman ng hearing dito,” Trillanes said.
“Ganun pa man tayo ay nanawagan ng konting pang-unawa on behalf of Mr. Matobato although it’s already stated in his motion for reconsideration dahil yun na nga ang circumstances dahil medyo alanganin syang makapunta noon. There was no intention to deliberately miss that hearing,” he added. CDG