De Lima hints at more witnesses to death squad killings

MANILA, Philippines - There are more witnesses to extrajudicial killings in Davao City, Sen. Leila De Lima said at a press briefing after the Senate hearing on Thursday.

The Senate committees on Justice and Human Rights, and Public Order and Dangerous Drugs has been holding the hearings to look into drug-related killings that have been attributed to the government's war on drugs.

READ: UN urges government: Stop extrajudicial killings

During the hearing on Thursday, De Lima presented witness Edgar Matobato, who claimed to be a former member of the Davao Death Squad.  He alleged that President Rodrigo Duterte, then city mayor, ordered killings in Davao and even attempted to ambush De Lima when she investigated a supposed mass burial site in the city's Laud Quarry.

Senators, including Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, who denied a request for the Senate to provide Matobato security, have cast doubt on the confessed killer's claims.

"The witness' testimony is not even relevant to the resolution being investigated," Pimentel, the president's party-mate, said Thursday night.

READ: Lacson sees inconsistencies in ex-'DDS' member Matobato's claims

Rep. Karlo Nograles, son of former House Speaker Prospero Nograles' son, has also refuted Matobato's claim that Duterte had him kill the former speaker's bodyguards when the elder Nograles ran for Davao City mayor in 2010.

“We have no bodyguards. Except those assigned to us officially by the PNP (Philippine National Police). And if you check they are still alive,” Rep. Nograles said. 

De Lima: Other witnesses refused to go public

De Lima said that the witnesses, who are expected to testify in the continuing investigation, said there was no such thing as a Davao Death Squad.

"But some of the witnesses we were able to access sort of narrated a similar story as that one we heard from Mr. Matobato." De Lima said.

De Lima also said that the main difficulty in investigating the cases is lack of witnesses.

"Some of them agreed to being interviewed by us, but they refused to publicly come out in the open. They refused to execute affidavits," she added.

De Lima said that she will continue to advice Matobato when he executes an affidavit on his testimony.

"He should stick to his personal knowledge, and he should clarify whether it's personal knowledge or naririnig lang niya." De Lima said. -- Kristian Javier