Lacson chides De Lima for keeping witness Matobato a secret before hearing

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday chided Senator Leila de Lima for keeping witness Edgar Matobato a secret before he was presented at the resumption of the Senate hearing on drug-related killings.

In a television interview, Lacson said De Lima should have had the courtesy to inform him about Matobato as the co-chair of the joint Senate probe.

De Lima is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, which is conducting the investigation on alleged extrajudicial killings and summary executions amid the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, jointly with the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which Lacson heads.

“Kung co-chairman ako sa pagdinig sana man lang nasabihan ako ng aking co-chair, although siya ang lead committee dito, na may lalabas na witness,” Lacson said.

“Pero hindi nagkaroon ng ganoong courtesy. Nabulaga kaming lahat. Siya lang nakakaalam. Mukhang silang dalawa lang ni Sen. Trillanes ang nakakaalam na may magte-testify,” he said referring to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

De Lima earlier admitted getting the help of Trillanes to secure the safety of Matobato, who testified at the Senate hearing that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the killings of several individuals during his term as city mayor of Davao.

Matobato claimed he was a hired hitman and a member of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).

“Nabigla rin kami. May teaser pa kanyang opisina, nagpalabas ng teaser sa Senate media sabing may explosive mag-testify na dating member ng DDS. Bakit kami 'di nasabihan? Ako co-chair 'di nasabihan, pero media sinabihan,” Lacson said.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano had also complained that De Lima’s committee failed to provide the senators a list of witnesses before the start of the hearing.

Lacson said he believes Matobato was lying before the Senate panels, and that the public should take his testimony “with a grain of salt.”

“Kita natin sa pagtatanong ng senador, sa pagtatanong ko, sa pagtatanong ng iba, hindi totoo ang mga sinasabi niya. Kung meron siyang sinasabing totoo, 'yan ang hindi ko alam—alin doon?” Lacson said.

In another television interview, Unang Balita, on Friday, Lacson said Matobato's allegations should have been verified first before the self-confessed hitman was presented at the Senate hearing.

During the hearing, Lacson doubted Matobato’s statement that a certain terrorist suspect “Sali Makdum” was kidnapped in 2002 and was brought to the office of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF), where now police chief Director General dela Rosa was a former officer of, to be killed.

Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), pointed out that PAOCTF was abolished in 2001. —KG, GMA News