Arturo Lascañas (screenshot of video presented in quad-comm hearing)

The bombshell allegations of Arturo Lascañas, a self-confessed member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), have been brought to the fore against former president Rodrigo Duterte and his close allies during the latest hearing of the vaunted House quad-committee (quad-comm).

This was all thanks to the efforts of former senator Leila de Lima, who in her presentation during the hearing on Thursday, Nov. 7, showed to lawmakers Lascañas’ video from Oct. 8, 2020.

De Lima said this was recorded by the retired Davao City policeman and self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) hitman to certify his affidavit submitted before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I say and declare honestly and truthfully, that the person of Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his son Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte are directly involved in the illegal drug trade in Davao City,” said Lascañas.

According to Lascañas, his testimony was based on his “personal knowledge and experience” within the DDS for more than two decades.

He alleged that the elder Duterte, during his time as Davao City mayor, was “in partnership” with Davao–based businessmen Michael Yang and Sammy Uy i the illegal drug trade. 

Meanwhile, he claimed that Duterte’s eldest son was also “in partnership” with Charlie Tan, another Davao-based businessman. Pulong is the incumbent representative of Davao City’s 1st district.

Then-police colonel and now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Wilkins Villanueva were also supposedly involved.

‘Personal killing machine’

Lascañas, who also admitted to being a hitman, said in the video that the whole DDS network was utilized by then-Mayor Duterte as his “personal killing machine".

“They took advantage of our blind loyalty to him and our greed for money to promote and protect his personal and political interests,” he said.

According to him, all the targets of the DDS—whwho were later killed—were based on the intelligence information given by Duterte or his “evil lieutenants”.

The video ended with Lascañas apologizing for his actions.

“I am sorry that I have been blind, sinful, hurtful, and greedy. I also apologize for I have been disloyal to my profession as a policeman whose sworn duty is to serve and protect the Filipino people,” he said.

“I, along with my fellow members of the Duterte Death Squad or Davao Death Squad, have allowed ourselves to be turned into monsters by our evil master, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” he added.

According to De Lima, the 186-page affidavit of Lascañas brings more detail to “every incident, the time, the who, the why, the what” of the brutal operations conducted by the DDS.

The former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary also noted that it identified specific incidents of massacres, as well as the individuals directly and indirectly connected to the operations; barangay officials directly and indirectly involved in the “killing spree”, and the financial supporters of the DDS.

Lascañas previously gave these allegations back in 2017, as he recanted an earlier Senate testimony in 2016 wherein he denied the existence of the DDS.

After these claims were made, ex-president Durterte immediately denied them and stated that they were “all lies”.

FFast forward to 2024, the return to the public eye of these allegations could set the waters rolling as none other than the quad-comm is probing the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the previous administration.

The ICC, which has received Lascañas’ testimony, has earlier launched an investigation into the EJKs under Duterte as well. 

Lascañas was granted limited immunity by the ICC in 2021. This protects him from prosecution over crimes he is also involved in.