Trillanes wants Senate probe on ‘mass murderer’ Duterte 

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday sought a Senate investigation on the alleged “direct involvement” of President Rodrigo Duterte on the killings in Davao City during his term as mayor. 

Trillanes raised the matter during a privilege speech where he presented documents intended to dispute the statements of his colleagues that Edgar Matobato, confessed member of the so-called Davao Death Squad, was inconsistent in his testimony. 

“We are faced with a very frightening prospect, that of having a mass murderer as president of the country,” Trillanes said. 

“I am sure that prior to this inquiry, all of us have heard rumors of the Davao Death Squad and that Duterte was somehow behind it ... but we were able to look the other way because it was convenient for us to do so. All that has changed,” the senator said. 

“We cannot look the other way anymore because now, Edgar Matobato, is telling us in the face, he has testified that President Duterte, as mayor of Davao City, was behind the Davao Death Squad,” Trillanes said. 

Matobato has testified before the Senate justice committee that he killed several people supposedly on Duterte’s orders during the latter’s term as mayor of Davao City. 

Duterte has denied knowing Matobato personally but admitted that he knew that Sen. Leila de Lima will be unleashing the self-confessed hitman against him.

'Inconsistencies,' 'half truths'

After hours of cross examination last week, several senators said Matobato’s testimony had several inconsistencies.

But Trillanes defended Matobato, saying: “Katulad nating lahat, walang may perpektong memorya. Bukod pa dyan, siya’y nakatapos lang ng Grade 1 at hindi makapag-Tagalog ng maayos.”

Trillanes, who helped secure the safety of Matobato before appearing in the Senate, presented the witness’ service card, showing he was assigned to the city mayor’s office as early as September 1990.

He also showed Matobato’s employee identification card signed by President Duterte’s daughter, incumbent Mayor Sara Duterte, as well as the payroll showing Matobato’s name.

The said documents show that Matobato was assigned to the “heinous crime investigation and detective management section” of the Davao City police office. Matobato testified that he was an employee of the “heinous crimes division.”

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a close ally of Duterte, said Trillanes’ explanations were mere “half-truths.”

“If I use half-truths o misleading questions, that is allowed. Ang hindi allowed ay ‘yung witness na hindi nagsasabi ng katotohanan,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano said it was an “insult” to the Senate justice committee, which was hearing the testimony of Matobato, that Trillanes would submit his observations to the plenary while the panel was still yet to submit its committee report.

“Nothing has changed, most of Matobato’s testimony is hearsay. Those that are not hearsay are inconsistent to the point that it will not be admitted to a legal proceeding,” Cayetano added.

The Senate hearing on drug-related killings will resume on September 28. — RSJ/NB, GMA News