Calida to file charges vs Trillanes for coddling Davao Death Squad hitmen

MANILA, Philippines — Solicitor General Jose Calida on Monday said he is already planning to file charges against Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV for allegedly protecting members of the Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Calida claimed Trillanes is a “person of interest” and should be held accountable for allegedly coddling supposed DDS members and self-confessed killers Edgar Matobato and former SPO3 Arturo “Arthur” Lascañas. Both Matobato and Lascañas previously served as witnesses in the Senate probe into drug-related killings.

Matobato earlier tagged President Rodrigo Duterte as the founder of the death squad and said that the latter is involved in killings. Lascañas initially denied these allegations. 

However, Lascañas retracted last week his statement and said that the president had ordered the killing of innocent people including his two brothers.

"Why is he coddling this self-confessed criminal? ‘Di ba as senator he should be for the administration of justice?" Calida asked in a press conference on Monday afternoon.

"That person (Lascañas) confessed to have killed his two brothers. Even this Matobato, why is he coddling, hiding and providing security for this confessed criminal? Is this the job of the senator?" he added.

Calida clarified that he would need more time to have the proper cases filed against Trillanes. He also dismissed the testimonies of the supposed DDS members as false accusations.

The solicitor general even called Lascañas a perjurer for recanting his previous statements.

Meanwhile, in a separate radio interview prior to Calida’s press conference, Trillanes denied that he is behind Lascañas’ resurfacing. He cited that he even clashed with the retired police officer during the Senate hearing.

It can be recalled that during the Senate hearing last October, Trillanes tried to test the consistency of Lascañas’s statement. He tried to discredit the latter by using a watch test.

During the probe, Lascañas said he gave Matobato a second-hand watch. Trillanes then disproved that it was an old watch and presented evidence that the serial number on Matobato’s watch supposedly given by Lascañas matched the serial number on the receipt indicating it was new.