Remember who Arturo Lascañas is?
His name was mentioned several times during the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 21 and 22.
In trying to establish a pattern of violence on the part of Sara Duterte, whom the prosecution is attempting to paint as someone unfit for public office, Matibag read out parts of Lascañas’ affidavit that was submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in October 2020.
Lascañas’ 186-page affidavit is expected to be used by the Office of the Prosecutor in The Hague in its case of crimes against humanity against former president Rodrigo Duterte, father of the Vice President. (READ: The Lascañas Affidavit | ‘I killed for Duterte’)
The exact whereabouts today of Lascañas — a known henchman of Duterte, and acknowledged as among the leaders of the notorious Davao Death Squad (DDS) — remain unknown. By now, the bald and stern-looking ex-Davao policeman would be in his mid-60s. In November 2021, he was granted limited immunity by the ICC.
