(Eagle News)– Senator Richard Gordon said that the Senate justice committee will continue its probe on alleged extrajudicial killings without the presence of supposed hitman Edgar Matobato.
“We will continue but Matobato will no longer be an issue because he’s already damaged goods,” said Gordon.
The justice committee chair also said the probe could have been finished by Tuesday if only Senator Leila De Lima revealed the information on the kidnapping case filed against Matobato.
“Ngayon sana tapos na kung hindi lang ginulo eh. If we had that evidence, wala na ito, ang dami nang mali eh,” stressed Gordon.
According to Gordon, Matobato’s counter-affidavit submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was an exact opposite of his testimony on Sali Makdum’s kidnapping before the Senate panel.
“If you look closely at the counter-affidavit, doon niyo mapapatunayan yung material concealment. ‘Yung kanyang counter-affidavit, ang in-accuse niya dun yung military pero ang lumabas dito sa hearing, yung mga pulis,” Gordon further noted.
The case was filed by the common law wife of Makdum.
Matobato claimed Sali Makdum was an alleged terrorist and was kidnapped and killed under the directive of then Davao City Mayor now President Rodrigo Duterte.
The senator said the hearing will now focus on the alleged extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte administration’s war on drugs and crime and the authorities’ inaction on such matters.
“We have a case. There are killings going on. Ano ba kailangan mo diyan? Hindi naman rocket science yan. Araw-araw may pinapatay. Dapat imbestigahan.”
(Rex Felix Salvador I, Eagle News Service)