A Senate witness named Edgar Matobato, a former Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member claims to be a member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) said on Thursday. He claims to have worked as an assasin for then Davao City Mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his men to kill then Human Rights Chairperson and now Senator Leila de Lima.
In 2009, de Lima, then the human rights chairperson, was visiting an alleged dumping ground for victims of the infamous Davao Death Squad in Ma-a, Davao City to search the area supposedly for the mass grave of DDS victims in July 2009.
Matobato said the plan to kill De Lima did not push through. He said he and his team would have killed De Lima if only the latter reached a certain part of the hilly site.
According to the witness: “Noong hinukay niyo ‘yung sa (Barangay) Ma-a, inabangan ka namin doon. Kung pumasok ka pa sa itaas, naka-ambush position na kami doon,” Matobato told de Lima.
“Hindi kami nakapunta sa taas. That property is a hilly property. Hindi na kami umabot sa taas na nandoon kamo kayo,” de Lima said in response to Matobato’s claim.
Senator De Lima then asked Matobato who gave the group the order to have them killed. The witness answered: “Si Mayor Duterte po. Kinausap niya kami sa opisina namin, referring to the group’s office called the “Heinous Crimes Section” under the Office of the Mayor."
Matobato said their attempt to ambush De Lima failed because her team did not reach the area where the gunmen were waiting.
“Pero hindi ka na pumasok sa office. Doon lang kami sa entrada. Hindi na namin kayo naabutan, ando’n kami sa taas,” the witness added.
Source: ABS-CBN
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