Lacson: Gordon should have allowed CHR witnesses to testify on killings

Senator Richard Gordon should have allowed the witnesses under the protection of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to testify on drug-related killings before deciding  to terminate the Senate justice committee’s investigation, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Tuesday.

“Sa akin, medyo kulang pa rin kasi hindi napayagan ‘yung victims ng CHR doon sa last hearing,” Lacson told reporters in an interview.

Gordon rejected hearing the testimonies of the three witnesses brought by the CHR last week after one of its commissioners publicly criticized the senator’s handling of the investigation, calling him a “coward.”

CHR chair Chito Gascon then explained that the position of Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz was not necessarily the agency’s position.

“Doon sa last hearing, I was requesting chair Gordon to allow them to present. But he was very passionate, caught in the moment siya kasi may issue siya with Senator (Leila) de Lima. Hindi ko na lang in-insist, baka ma-three-cornered fight pa kami doon,” Lacson said.

On Thursday last week, Gordon decided to terminate the Senate justice panel’s investigation on rampant extrajudicial killings and summary executions.

Lacson said he expects the committee report, which will be released this week, to undergo lengthy deliberations in the plenary.

He said he agreed with Gordon’s position that the existence of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) was not clearly established during the probe.

Lacson added that the investigation failed to link President Rodrigo Duterte to the alleged killings.

“Ang hinihintay ko ay something or somebody who will corroborate Matobato’s testimony. As of now, wala kaming nakikitang magco-corroborate,” he said.

Lacson was referring to confessed hitman and DDS member Edgar Matobato, who tagged Duterte in killings in Davao City during his term as mayor.

If and when there is corroborating witness and evidence to support Matobato’s claims before the committee, Lacson said he will go “all out” to move for the reopening of the investigation.

“Sinabi niya ‘may pinatay kami, may binaon kami’ at tinuro yung lugar at meron talagang binaon at tumama sa identification ng tao, then I’ll go all out to re-open and probably recommend the filing of charges against anybody,” Lacson said. — VVP, GMA News