Bones removed from Laud quarry before CHR search, Lascañas claims 

Bones of alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) victims were dug up in Laud quarry a week prior to the 2009 visit of then-Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chief and now Senator Leila de Lima, retired policeman Arthur Lascañas said Monday.

Appearing before the Senate public order committee, Lascañas said he was told that some of the bones were thrown in the lake near the quarry owned by former policeman Bienvenido Laud.

"Before nag-conduct si Commissioner De Lima na ma-investigate sila sa quarry, siguro one week before or five days before may advanced info kami na magpunta doon so binigay kami ni mayor, particularly ni SPO4 Ben Laud, ng pera para kung puwede, mahukay yung nandoon," Lascañas said.

"Sa pagkakaalam ko, yung madaling matunton dahil yung search warrant is parang ilang metro lang galing sa highway, so yun ang siniguro makuha tapos yung ibang buto tinapon sa lake and according to Miguel, yung trusted aide ni Ben Laud, nilagay nila at the outskirts of Laud quarry, may isang hukay doon na dun nila tinambak yung buto," he added.

Lascañas, who has linked President Rodrigo Duterte to the DDS, said the remains of the Patasaja family were left in the quarry. He told the committee he can pinpoint the location where the family was buried in the Laud quarry if need be.

In his affidavit, Lascañas said the Patasaja family was killed after its head was linked to the kidnapping of the wife of a local banker in Davao City named Dante Abaca.

In a 2014 decision, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the grant of a search warrant on the Laud quarry in Davao City. Since then, however, neither the Philippine National Police (PNP) nor the CHR has conducted a search on the area.

Lawyer Arno Sanidad of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) told the committee that the search warrant was questioned by Laud through his lawyer, Vitaliano Aguirre II, now secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Sanidad said the quarry is no longer under the name of Laud.

"It has been divided. One went to Gaisano and one went to another businessman, Mr. Lee," he said.

Aguirre comment

Sought for comment, Aguirre said Laud had denied that his property was used as dumping grounds for alleged DDS victims.

"Dini-deny niya yun, parang libingan daw yun ng guerillas nung panahon ng Hapon kaya di katakataka na magkaroon ng buto dun," Aguirre said in a chance interview at the Department of Justice.

He added the bones did not prove anything as the CHR failed to file a case against Duterte for his supposed links to the vigilante squad.

"Yung nahukay nilang buto hindi nila mapatunayan kung buto ng tao o buto ng hayop," he said.

"Kung merong ebidensya si Secretary De Lima noon dapat nagdemanda sila. Kahit isa, kahit katiting walang naidemanda," Aguirre said. —with Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News