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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider Davao City court orders arrest of Duterte accuser Lascañas

Davao City court orders arrest of Duterte accuser Lascañas

Trillanes posts P18,000 bail over false testimony case

Published Aug 14, 2025 10:05 pm
ARTURO Lascañas
ARTURO Lascañas
DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 10 has issued a series of alias warrants of arrest against retired police officer Arturo B. Lascañas for online libel, murder, and attempted murder.
The court directed law enforcement to apprehend Lascañas for online libel in violation of Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
The warrant for online libel issued June 9, 2025, instructed officers to present Lascañas before the court or release him upon proper posting and approval of bail set at P48,000.
No bail was recommended for the murder case with a warrant issued on Oct. 16, 2020. The two other cases for attempted murder have a bail of P120,000 each.
All warrants instructed law enforcement agencies to serve them within 10 days of receipt with a required written explanation for failure to do so.
Listed addresses in the documents were Bariquit Compound, Sitio San Andres, Barangay Indangan, and Roseville Subdivision in Buhangin, Davao City.
Complainants were the Philippine National Police in Davao City, the Bureau of Immigration, and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Lascañas, a self-proclaimed former member of the so-called Davao Death Squad, has been the subject of multiple criminal cases for years.
He left the country and testified before international bodies implicating former President Rodrigo Duterte to alleged extrajudicial killings.
Human rights advocates and law enforcement critics have urged the PNP and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to take immediate action, citing reports that Lascañas has been traveling abroad despite pending warrants.
They warned that continued inaction could erode public confidence in the justice system and embolden fugitives to evade prosecution.
The PNP and the Interpol has yet to issue statements confirming efforts to locate or arrest Lascañas.
Meanwhile, former Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV surrendered to the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 131 on July 8 over a criminal case for false testimony.
The case filed under Article 183, Paragraph 1 of the Revised Penal Code stems from allegations that Trillanes gave untruthful statements under oath during a congressional inquiry.
The complaint initiated by Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte accused Trillanes of making baseless claims during a House hearing in November 2024.
Trillanes linked Duterte, along with his brother-in-law, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, to illegal drug activities, a claim prosecutors say lacked credible evidence.
The Office of the City Prosecutor earlier found probable cause to proceed with the case, prompting the court to issue a warrant of arrest on July 7.
Trillanes appeared before the court the following day and posted a P18,000 cash bond, lifting the electronic warrant. The Quezon City case is one of several legal battles the former senator is facing.
Carpio, married to Vice President Sara Duterte, has filed additional criminal complaints against Trillanes. He is also facing a separate case in Davao City, adding to his growing list of courtroom challenges.
All cases trace back to Trillanes’ repeated public allegations implicating members of the Duterte family in criminal activities, statements that prosecutors and complainants claim were knowingly false and politically motivated.
The court directed the prosecution and the defense to submit their judicial affidavits and supporting evidence at least five days before the pre-trial.
Trillanes has been given 10 days from receipt of the prosecution’s affidavits to file his sworn statement.
The resolution of these cases could determine if Trillanes’ long-running campaign against the Duterte family will lead to significant legal repercussions.

Related Tags

Arturo Lascañas Davao City President Duterte DDS Davao Death Squad
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