Bato dares ex-Davao cop Lascañas: File cases if you have evidence

Former National Police chief and now Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Thursday said former Davao Senior Police Officer Arturo "Arthur" Lascañas was welcome to file cases on his involvement in Davao City's "Oplan Tokhang" under the watch of Vice President Sara Duterte — provided that these would be backed with evidence.

"Let him file all those cases in court if he has evidence, now that [Rodrigo] Duterte is no longer President," Dela Rosa said in a text message to reporters.

In an interview with the media, Lascañas claimed that the vice president, during her term as mayor of Davao City, was the one who launched Oplan Tokhang in 2012 and appointed Dela Rosa as the city's chief of police.

"Sinabi sa akin ni Bato Dela Rosa na nag-craft sila ng panibago ngayong extrajudicial killing na campaign against illegal drugs, which is Toktok Hangnyo meaning Tokhang," he said.

(Dela Rosa told me they crafted a new extrajudicial killing campaign against illegal drugs, which is Tokhang.)

"Mga target personalities sa illegal drugs. Lalo pa ang mga gumagamit ng shabu at nagbebenta. Sabi nya kidnapin ninyo, ilubog ninyo ang target. Parang kaso missing person lang," Lascañas added.

(The targets were personalities involved in illegal drugs. Most especially those who were using selling shabu. He told us they should be kidnapped or eliminated. To make it appear as a missing person case.)

Clear conscience

Lascañas said that he has submitted a 186-page affidavit to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he said contains information on the alleged killings perpetrated by former president Duterte and the involvement of the latter's daughter, Sara, in the extrajudicial killings in Davao City.

Aside from the affidavit, the former Davao cop said he also submitted a notebook as evidence to the ICC office of the prosecutor containing information on everything he knows about the alleged killings that were ordered by the former president; other allegations involving Sara and her brother Davao congressman Paolo "Pulong" Duterte; and the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and anti-crime task forces created in Davao City.

Sara previously said she would only face any accusations linking her to the DDS before a Philippine court, pointing out that it was only when she was elected vice president that her name was linked to the controversial group.

On Wednesday, Dela Rosa maintained his innocence in the allegations against him related to the so-called "Davao Death Squad."

"Sige, go ahead. Pabayaan mo lang siya mag-allege nang mag-allege. Basta malinis ang konsensya ko. Bahala siya sa buhay niya," he told reporters in a short interview.

(Sure, go ahead. Let him make more and more allegations. My conscience is clear. Let him do his thing, if that's what he wants to do with his life.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News