Confessed assassin Edgar Matobato on Thursday flip-flopped on President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 alleged role in the killing of a suspected international terrorist when Duterte was still the mayor of Davao City.
At first, Matobato told the joint hearing of the Senate committees on justice and human rights and public order that he was uncertain if Duterte had ordered the killing of Sali Makdum.
He said it was a certain SPO4 Arturo Lasca帽as who had ordered the kidnapping and killing of the suspected terrorist.
Asked by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who ordered Lasca帽as to abduct and kill Makdum, Matobato said: 鈥淗indi ko na alam, sir, nag-utos.鈥�
鈥淜asi last hearing pinapapalabas mo si Mayor Duterte ang may utos at sumusunod lang kaming lahat. Ngayon nagbago na ang inyong statement,鈥� Cayetano said.
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鈥淭alagang totoo 鈥檓an sir 鈥� Basta ako wala akong nalalaman d鈥檡an. Pinatawag lang ako so tinuro ko 鈥檓an lahat,鈥� said Matobato, who admitted taking part in the killing of Makdum.
鈥淪o hindi si Mayor Duterte ang nagpapatay?鈥� the senator asked again, to which the witness said, 鈥淓wan ko lang sir.鈥�
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV protested, saying Cayetano was giving the committees wrong information.
鈥淚f you鈥檇 read the transcript, walang sinabi si Mr. Edgar Matobato na si Presidente Duterte ang pumatay, ang nagpautos at pumatay kay Sali Makdum. Meron syang sinabing mga specific cases na nakita nya, narinig nya pero not this one,鈥� Trillanes said.
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鈥淪o huwag nating i-twist kasi ganun yung nangyayari e. While you鈥檙e blaming people, the media, na tini-take 鈥檡ung word as fact, pero gusto mo ring i-take 鈥檡ung word mo as fact, eh in this case, twisted,鈥� he added.
Matobato also denied that Duterte had anything to do with Makdum鈥檚 abduction.
鈥淲alang kinalaman si mayor, sir,鈥� said the witness.
Cayetano pointed out, however, that in Matobato鈥檚 affidavit, the witness claimed that Makdum was ordered 鈥渓iquidated鈥� by Duterte through Lasca帽as 鈥渂ecause he was a suspected terrorist.鈥�
鈥淪ir order ni Mayor Duterte 鈥︹�� the witness said.
鈥淧ero kung titingnan po natin ang transcript kanina, sinabi mo hindi mo alam鈥︹�� Cayetano said.
鈥淪ir nalilito ako sir, nalilito ako sir. Sorry sir,鈥� Matobato said.
鈥淪o anong totoo, order ni Mayor Duterte o hindi?鈥� Cayetano asked again.
鈥淥rder 鈥檡an ni Mayor Duterte,鈥� the witness said again.
Matobato said he saw Duterte talking to Lasca帽as but did not hear them. RC/rga
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