(Eagle News) — Senator Leila de Lima defended the presentation of a new witness in the continuation of the hearings on extrajudicial killings, claiming that this had nothing to do with the Liberal Party or any plot to embarrass President Duterte.
On Thursday (September 15) , she presented a self-confessed hired assassin and alleged member of a death squad in Davao City who testified before the Senate on alleged extrajudicial killings in Davao City.
The witness, Edgar Matobato, claimed he has killed some 50 people, and tagged then mayor Rodrigo Duterte in some of the killings. He also tagged the President’s son, Davao City vice-mayor Paolo Duterte. The young Duterte said he would not dignify the accusations as he described the witness as a “madman.”
Matobato was previously under the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) while De Lima was still justice secretary.
De Lima said she will secure the security and protection of the witness who claimed there were about 1,000 extrajudicial killings in Davao City.
She denied allegations that the presentation of Matobato was connected to any plot to impeach the President.
–Cayetano questions witness’ credibility–
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, during the hearing, tested the credibility of the witness and questioned him on certain inconsistencies during his testimony.
Cayetano said this could be part of a plan B of the Liberal Party in attempting to destroy the President.
When the questioning became heated, De Lima declared Cayetano out of order for “imputing bad faith and ill motive.”
“I feel that the people should know kung ano ang alam nya. Wala nang ibang agenda dyan,” De Lima said in a press conference later.
De Lima claimed she has no agenda at all in presenting the witness, nor does she want the President removed from office.
“Ang puede lang magpa-alis sa Pangulo ay impeachment. Hindi ko naman imumungkahi yun,” De Lima said.
“Hindi po ito LP (Liberal Party). Wala pong kinalaman ang LP. Wala po akong pinagsabihan (at the Liberal party). They don’t know about this,” said De Lima who chairs the senate committee on justice and human rights which is spearheading the senate probe on extrajudicial killings.
De Lima is a member of the Liberal Party.
–Trillanes helped secure witness —
De Lima said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV helped to secure the witness, Matobato.
“Si Senator Trillanes, mga tao na niya ang nag-secure sa kanya,” she said.
“Well, he was more than willing to help. And I thank him. I’m expressing my sincere thanks to senator Trillanes for securing the witness.
Matobato claimed he was part of the “Lambada Boys,” an alleged liquidation squad which was the precursor of the alleged Davao Death Squad.
De Lima said an emissary approached her about the desire of Matobato to surface. She declined however to name the emissary.
She admitted that Matobato was previously under the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program when she was still the DOJ chief.
But she refused to divulge details of what happened while Matobato was still under their care supposedly as a possible witness regarding the Davao Death Squad.
Presidential Communications chief Martin Andanar said that the President was not capable of the accusations made by Matobato.
The President has earlier tagged De Lima as a protector of rampant illegal drug operations in the country.