Lascañas’ testimony, credibility questioned

Retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas’ credibility was put to test on Monday when he faced the Senate investigation on his own allegations linking President Rodrigo Duterte to the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned, for instance, Lascañas’ failure to recall the name of his first victim after he claimed personally killing almost 200 people.

READ: Lascañas: I personally killed almost 200 people

It was under Senator Grace Poe’s questioning during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs that Lascañas, who claimed to be a DDS leader, admitted to have killed almost 200 people.

But when Poe asked if he could remember who was the first person he killed, Lascañas said he could not recall anymore.

At that point, Lacson interjected and expressed disbelief that Lascañas could not recall his first victim and yet he remembered eating “pancit” while narrating the killing of former soldier Jun Bersabal in 1997.

“Hindi mo matandaan kung sino yung unang-una mong napatay pero naalala mo kelan yung Bersabal, 1993? 1997? Medyo matagal na rin ano? Pero yung kay Bersabal naalala mo yung pansit e. Pero yung una mong pinatay hindi mo mataandan man lang kung ano ang pangalan,” he said.

(You couldn’t recall the first person you killed but you remembered when Bersabal was killed, 1993? 1997? It has been a long time, right? But during the killing of Bersabal you remembered the pansit. But you couldn’t even remember the name of the first one you killed.)

“Kasi alam mo imbestigador ako e. Pasensya ka na kung medyo mausyoso ako dahil di ba tayong mga imbestigador…gusto nating i-test yung credibility ng isang testigo hindi lamang para husgahan sya kung hindi para rin magkaroon na rin ng parehas na pag iisip doon sa mga inaakusahan…”

(Because you know I’m an investigator. Pardon me if I’m being inquisitive because we, as investigators, want to test the credibility of the witness not just to judge him but also to conceive the same thinking among those accused.)

Lascañas said what he only recalled was when he was a neophyte police, he accidentally shot and killed a bystander while pursuing a snatcher.

But Poe still seemed not satisfied by the retired police officer’s answer.

“May punto din ang ating chair kasi usually yung unang pagkakaton, yung first time hindi mo makakalimutan yun (Our chair has a point because usually, you won’t forget your first time),” she said.

The lady senator then asked Lascañas if there were other DDS members willing to the face the Senate and corroborate his testimony but the latter said he was not sure if his former companions would back his testimony.

Poe said other witnesses should corroborate Lascañas to further strengthen his allegations.

“Sa ngayon, wala pang nagpapakita para patunayan yung sinasabi ninyo. Nais ko lamang ilahad yun para sa record (As of now, no one has showed up to prove your claims. I wanted to tell that for the record),” she said.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who initiated the probe, came to Lascañas’ rescue and told the committee that there were still other witnesses who hadvolunteered to testify but the latter could not compromise them.

“So I believe in time, lahat naman nyan (everything) will just fall into place,” Trillanes said.

“Nais lang kasi nating ipakita na dito sa ating paghahanap ng katotohanan, magkaroon din ng patunay na magbibigay ng value sa kanyang salaysay (We just want to show that in our search for truth, there would also evidence which will give value to his testimony),” said Poe, who was among the senators who backed the Senate probe on Lascañas’ accusation against the President even after his denial of the DDS existence when he first testified in the chamber last year. RAM/rga