Retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, the confessed hitman who implicated President Duterte in grisly killings in Davao City, waits at the immigration area before his flight out of the Philippines on Apr. 8, 2017. NIKKO DIZON / INQUIRER FILE
Unknown to many, the family of retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas left for Singapore before he testified at the Senate on March 6, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Monday.
Lacson made the disclosure following media reports that Lascañas flew to Singapore Saturday night.
READ: Davao Death Squad witness Arturo Lascañas leaves PH for safety
“His family had left for Singapore even before he testified at the Senate hearing, so that could be his personal reason for leaving,” he said in in a text message to reporters.
“Hindi ba ninyo alam na nauna nang umalis for Singapore yung family niya even before he testified for the second time sa Senate? Kung sino gumastos dun, eh di malamang ‘yun din nag sponsor sa kanya,” the senator said but did not elaborate.
Lascañas first testified before the Senate committees on justice and human rights, and on public order and dangerous drugs in October last year where he denied the existence of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).
But the confessed DDS leader resurfaced at a press conference in the Senate last February 20 and retracted his testimony, saying the death squad was real and its members were allegedly paid by then Davao City Mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte to kill people.
The news conference was facilitated by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who also initiated a separate probe on Lascañas’ public confession by the public order committee headed by Lacson.
Now that Lascañas and family had left the country, Lacson wanted to find out who was spending for their trips and accommodations in Singapore.
“It may be worth to find out who spent for his and his family’s trips and accommodations in Singapore which is an expensive place to stay. Contrary to reports that he left quietly, I don’t see that since he allowed himself to be accompanied by a news reporter,” Lacson said. CBB/rga
RELATED VIDEO