Davao cop says Duterte ordered killings, DDS real

Retracting his earlier testimony at the Senate, a Davao City policeman who had testified on the Davao Death Squad (DDS) resurfaced on Monday and claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the killings of criminals in Davao City when he was still its mayor.

SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, who was presented by members of the Free Legal Assistance Group during a press conference in the Senate, claimed that Duterte personally ordered them to kill criminals. He also confirmed the existence of the DDS.

“Sa una pong pag-upo ni Mayor ni Mayor Duterte bilang mayor ng Davao City ay nag-umpisa na po kami ng tinatawag na salvaging ng mga tao. Ito po ay mga suspek na gumagawa ng krimen sa Davao, about illegal drugs,” Lascañas said.

“Inimplementa po namin ang personal na utos ni Duterte sa amin,” he said.

Lascañas claimed that DDS members were paid by Duterte from P20,000 to P 100,000 depending on their targets.

“Sa lahat po ng ginagawa naming pagpatay sa Davao City, libing man o itapon namin sa laot, ito po ay binabayaran kami ni Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, kadalasan P20,000, minsan P50,000 at depende  po sa status ng target. Minsan P100,000,”   he said.

“Ako po ay tumanggap ng allowance galing sa office of the mayor sa matagal ng panahon. Tumanggap ako ng P100,000,”  he added.

Lascañas’ statement was a turnaround from his earlier  testimony  when he faced  the Senate justice and public order committees  that investigated  the alleged  extrajudicial  killings in the country.

“All lies,”   told the  committee when he was asked by senators  if he  was part of the DDS. CBB

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