Aguirre harassing Lascañas—Trillanes

Retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV decried as “harassment” on Tuesday the latest order to locate retired police officer Arturo Lascañas, who has testified against President Rodrigo Duterte.

An arrest order was issued against Lascañas for his alleged role in the 2003 killing of broadcaster Juan “Jun” Pala.

READ: Lascañas ordered arrested for murder of Duterte critic

“Ito ay maliwanag na panggigipit sa mga mag tetestigo laban kay Duterte (This is a clear harassment on those who testify against Duterte),” Trillanes said in a statement after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to locate Lasçañas.

READ: Locate Lascañas, Aguirre orders NBI

“Inuna na nila inipit si Matobato, ngayon naman ay si Lascañas. Kaya patunay rin ito na nagsasabi ng totoo silang dalawa (They first harassed Matobato, now they are going after Lascañas. This only goes to show that the two of them are telling the truth),” the senator added.

Trillanes was referring to confessed assassin Edgar Matobato, who, like Lasçañas, claimed to be part of the so-called Davao Death Squad.

Both Lascañas and Matobato have testified in Senate probes and accused Duterte of  paying DDS members to kill suspected drug personalities, criminals and political enemies. IDL/rga

READ: Duterte ordered us to bomb mosque, kill Muslims–‘DDS’ member