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 FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Malacañang remained unfazed on the reopening of the Senate investigation to hear the testimonies of self-confessed hitman retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas regarding the existence of the dreaded Davao Death Squad (DDS).
“Lascañas has discredited himself. You know, he has perjured himself,” Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella told state-run dzRB radio on Saturday.
In 2016, Lascañas testified before the Senate committee on justice and human rights and denied the existence of DDS. He, however, recanted his testimony on February 20 and claimed that the DDS was real and that its members were paid by then Davao City Mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte to kill criminals.
READ: Duterte paid us to kill, says ex-cop
Abella dismissed the claims of Lascañas as “rehashed.”
The Palace official also downplayed the remarks of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV that Lascañas’ testimony would implicate Duterte into his alleged involvement in the DDS.
“It seems that he’s being vocal for the sake of being vocal,” he said.
The Senate has agreed to hear Lascañas’ testimony and would reopen a Senate investigation regarding his claims.
READ: 10 senators vote to proceed with probe on Duterte’s DDS ‘ties’
Malacañang has earlier said that “rehashed” allegations of Lascañas were a part of a plot to unseat Duterte. IDL
READ: Lascanas allegation part of plot to unseat Duterte – Palace | Palace calls allegations part of a ‘larger noise’