Confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) leader retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas on Monday detailed his involvement in the killing of his own brothers who were involved in illegal drugs due to his loyalty to the antidrug campaign of then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
In his testimony during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order, Lascañas said he gave the go-signal to his fellow members of the Davao police to kill his own brothers Cecilio and Fernando in 2011 and 2014, respectively, should they resist arrest.
READ: Confessed DDS leader admits hand in killing of own brothers
“Noong gumawa ako ng isang napakasakit na desisyon, kung hindi ako nagkakamali 2011, nasangkot siya sa illegal drugs. Para walang masabi sa akin ang mga kasamahan ko at mahiya ako kay Mayor Rody. Gumawa ako ng isang desisyon nang i-clear ko sa Buhangin police na hulihin ninyo ang kapatid ko. If ever manlaban patayin ninyo. Ala akong bineblame sarili ko lang. Indirectly I was involved,” Lascañas said.
(I made a hurtful decision, if I’m not mistaken, it was 2011, my brother was involved in illegal drugs. [I did it] so my colleagues won’t have anything to say against me and I’m embarrassed towards Mayor Rody. I made a decision when I cleared among Buhangin police to arrest my brother. I told them to kill him if he resisted arrest. I blame no one but myself. Indirectly I was involved.)
“In 2014, the same happened to my younger brother. Involved ito sa (He was involved in) illegal [drugs]. Because of my seriousness in implementing ‘yung campaign ni (the campaign of) Mayor Rody, I gave the go-signal to Sonny Buenaventura, instruct the station commanders of Sta. Ana at San Pedro. In a few days napatay ng mga kasamahan ko sa Davao police office ang pinakabunso naming kapatid na si Fernando (my colleagues in Davao police office were able to kill my youngest brother Fernando),” he added.
An emotional Lascañas first admitted his hand in the killing of his own brothers when he resurfaced in the Senate last month in a press conference.
In a major turnaround from his previous testimony, Lascañas said the infamous DDS was real and then Mayor Duterte personally ordered the killings of criminals and opponents in Davao City, including the death of radio broadcaster Jun Pala in 2003. RAM/rga