Senate witness claims kidnapping, killing Nograles bodyguards upon orders of Duterte

Confessed hired assassin Edgar Matobato, who surfaced at the third Senate hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings, claimed to have kidnapped and killed in 2010 four bodyguards of former House Speaker Prospero Nograles, who used to be a rival of President Rodrigo Duterte in their hometown of Davao City. 

“Noong 2010, tumakbo po si Prospero Nograles na mayor ng Davao City. Naglaban sila ni Mayor Duterte so hinuli nila at pinakidnap ang mga bodyguard ni Nograles. Kinidnap namin at dinala sa island city of Samal,” Matobato narrated. 

The witness said it was upon the orders of “Mayor Duterte.” Asked who Mayor Duterte was, Matobato said: “Ang ating mahal na Pangulo ngayon.” 

President Duterte, who served as mayor of Davao City for more than two decades, are close rivals with Nograles, until they ended their political rift when Duterte decided to ran for the presidency. 

In 2010, Nograles ran against President Duterte’s daughter, Sara, for the mayoralty post. It was Sara Duterte who won the elections. President Duterte then won as vice mayor of the same city. 

Matobato said he himself carried the bodies of the kidnapped bodyguards, who were eventually killed. 

“Ako ang nagbuhat, isa-isa ko binuhat. Nilagay sa buhangin at binigti lahat. Pagkatapos, biniyak namin ‘yung tiyan tapos ako ang nagkarga ng bangka doon sa laot. Tinapon namin. Nilagyan ng hollow blocks, tig tatlo kada isang tao,” he said. 

Matabato also confessed he was a ghost employee of the city hall, and was a member of the “heinous crimes” division, who are considered the “police” force of Duterte in Davao City.

The hearing in ongoing as of posting time. — RSJ, GMA News