Senate must find out why Lascañas made a U-turn – Poe

SENATOR TRILLANES PRESS BRIEFING / FEBRUARY 20, 2017
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 PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday backed a Senate probe into President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged links in the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) if only to find out why his accuser had retracted his earlier testimony before the chamber.

SPO3 Arthur Lascañas denied the existence of DDS when he testified last year before the Senate committees on justice and human rights, and on public order and dangerous drugs that investigated the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

But Lascañas resurfaced at a press conference in the Senate Monday and confirmed the existence of DDS, which he said was paid by then Davao City Mayor Duterte to kill criminals.

“Kung para lang malinawan kung bakit niya ginawa yun, if only to find out why he perjured himself, is already enough reason for us or sapat nang dahilan para mag-conduct uli ng hearing kasi gusto nating malaman, ano ba ang pumasok sa isip mo bakit mo nagawa yan noon? Bakit mo gagawin ngayon yan? Kasi iba siyempre ang isang presscon, at iba rin ang isang pagdinig,” Poe said when asked about Lascañas

(If this would shed light on why he changed his story, if only to find out why he perjured himself, is already enough reason for us or enough for us to conduct another hearing because we want to know what changed his mind. Why he did not do it before? A press conference is so different to a formal hearing.)

“Ako ay umaapela rin sa mga kasama ko; ayaw naman natin na basta lang tayo hearing nang hearing pero nandito tayo para malaman kung ano ba yung katotohanan. Bigyan natin siya ng pagkakataon mag-eksplika, hindi naman nangangahulugan na totoo ang sinasabi na niya agad, kaya nga gusto natin malaman,” she said.

(I’m appealing to my colleagues; we’re not here to just hold hearings, we’re here to ferret out the truth. Give him the chance to explain, which would not necessarily mean he’s telling the truth; we must find out.)

Poe was part of the two panels that investigated the alleged EJKs but did not sign its report that found no proof that the killings were state-sponsored.

She said she did not sign the report because she believes the information gathered by the joint panel was not yet enough to conclude that there were indeed no state-sponsored killings.

Asked then if she thinks Lascañas would complete the story, Poe said she has yet to see how Duterte’s accusers would answer some of her questions.

“Ang malinaw doon, ano ba ang interes na mapupunta dito sa taong ito para palitan ang kanyang salaysay. Bakit niya papalitan ngayon?” she said.

(…what was the motive when he changed his story? Why did he change it?)

“Kasi tahimik na siguro ang kalagayan niya, biglang sumabak siya dito. Siyempre may kanya kanyang haka-haka. Sinasabing nabayaran ba siya? Tinakot ba siya? Siya ba ay nakonsensya?”

(Perhaps he regained his composure so resurfaced. Of course, speculations are flying. Was he bribed? Intimidated? Bothered by his conscience?)

“Gusto natin isipin na ang bawat tao na lalabas dito sa Senado ay may tamang hangarin na sabihin ang katotohanan. Tingnan natin kung totoo ba yung sinasabi niya kasi kung totoo yun ay hindi natin dapat palampasin ito,” Poe added.

(We want to think that everyone leaving the Senate had the right purpose of telling the truth. Let see if he is really telling the truth, which we should not overlook.)

On Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s motion, Lascañas’ allegations against Duterte had been referred to the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson, for investigation.