Du30 accuser charged with murder of Pala

SPO3 Arturo Lascañas

DAVAO CITY—Murder and frustrated murder charges had been filed against retired policeman Arturo Lascañas in connection with a series of attacks on broadcaster Juan Porras Pala that led to his killing and which Lascañas had claimed were masterminded by President Duterte when he was still mayor of the city.

Pala was ambushed thrice between 2002 and 2003. The third try was successful.

The three separate cases against Lascañas were filed in court by the city prosecutor’s office based on the complaint of the broadcaster’s wife, Louise Aguirre Pala.

The cases had been raffled off and landed on the sala of Judge Retrina Fuentes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 here. The court received the cases on Thursday.

Criminal Case No. R-DVO-1702086-CR charged Lascañas with the June 2002 ambush on Pala. Pala was waylaid by armed men on a pickup truck but survived.

Second attempt

Criminal Case No. R-DVO-17-02085-CR charged Lascañas with the failed ambush in April 2003 of Pala. Pala was in a cab with a companion when they were shot at. He suffered gunshot wounds in the buttocks but survived.

Criminal Case No. R-DVO-17-02087-CR charged Lascañas with the assassination of Pala on Sept. 6, 2003. Pala was walking home after playing card games with cousins when he was killed. The third attempt proved fatal.
On May 25, the city prosecutor’s office said it found probable cause to charge Lascañas with the series of attacks that eventually killed Pala.

City prosecutors said prior to filing the cases, they summoned Lascañas. But the subpoenas were returned, which meant the retired policeman had not been located.

Senate testimony

Lascañas had left the country claiming his life was in danger after he testified at the Senate accusing Mr. Duterte of being behind the killings perpetrated by the vigilante group Davao Death Squad. Among these, he had said, was the killing of Pala.
City prosecutors also said they approved the filing of the cases against Lascañas following his admission at the Senate of his involvement in the killing of Pala and other cases of street executions in the city.

During his Senate testimony, Lascañas also tagged other individuals, including fellow policeman Sonny Buenaventura and Jim Tan. Tan was Mr. Duterte’s driver-bodyguard when he was mayor.

The resolution issued by the city prosecutor’s office said Lascañas’ admission at the Senate on Feb. 19 had been turned into an affidavit, which had been used to file the charges against Lascañas.

Buenaventura, Tan and other individuals tagged by Lascañas in the killings were not charged, though.
City prosecutors said Lascañas’ affidavit at the Senate constituted an extrajudicial confession. —ALLAN NAWAL