DFA: No passport, biometrics records for Edgar Matobato

There are no passport and biometrics records under the name Edgar Matobato, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday amid reports that the confessed hitman has left the country.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has found no passport and biometrics records under the name 'Edgar Matobato,'" the DFA said in a statement.

The DFA added that its system will flag any application under a new or assumed identity, and a Philippine passport will not be issued, if there is already an existing record and biometrics in the database.

The agency warned that a fraudulent application for a passport is a serious offense punishable under the Passport Law.

"The DFA will continue to investigate the matter, and if warranted, refer the matter to law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities for further investigation," it said.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has said it would investigate whether Matobato has already left the country.

The New York Times had reported that Matobato already fled the Philippines.

Matobato claims to have been a member of the vigilante Davao Death Squad and alleged that he executed multiple killings as ordered by then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

He also testified during a Senate investigation into extrajudicial killings linked to the Duterte administration's 2016 war on drugs, claiming that the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force was responsible for several killings in Davao City.

Malacañang meanwhile said that it had no information on the whereabouts of the confessed hitman nor any control over his actions, including whether he might testify in another forum. –NB, GMA Integrated News