Retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas appears before the media and admitted the existence of the Davao Death Squad at a press conference at the Senate on Monday, February 20, 2017.
INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
A spiritual awakening brought about the turnaround of retired policeman Arturo Lascañas, admitting this time that he was indeed part of the dreaded Davao Death Squad (DDS) and implicated President Duterte.
Magdalo partylist Representative Gary Alejano said Tuesday that Lascañas had a major operation last year and while recuperating at the hospital, he saw what he believed was the ghost of the child he had killed, on orders of Mr. Duterte.
“Whether we believe it or not, the point is (he realized) he has to do something to atone himself for the sins he had done in the past,” Alejano said in a press conference of the independent minority bloc of the House of Representatives.
The Inquirer sought the comment of human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, one of Lascañas’ counsel.
“That is my understanding as well,” Diokno told the Inquirer by text, but added he was not certain when Lascañas had his operation that led to his spiritual awakening.
The first DDS whistleblower, Edgar Matobato, implicated Lascañas at the Senate investigation last year but the latter denied involvement in the killing spree in Davao City.
On Monday, Lascañas recanted his statement and incriminated the President himself, saying Mr. Duterte ordered the killings.
One of those Lascañas killed with Mr. Duterte’s approval was a suspected kidnapper, his pregnant wife, young son, and father-in-law.
Taking a more earthly explanation of Lascañas’ turnaround, Samar Rep. Raul Daza said that in the law of evidence, “a declaration against one’s interest is given probative value because it is human nature that a person would not say something against his interest.”
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman added: “He also went against the most powerful man in the country” against his own good, and which is tantamount to suicide./ac