Lascañas says VP Sara behind Oplan Tokhang in Davao City

Former Davao Senior Police Officer Arturo "Arthur" Lascañas accused Vice President Sara Duterte of orchestrating “Oplan Tokhang” in Davao City during her stint as mayor in 2012.

In a 24 Oras report by Saleema Refran on Wednesday, Lascañas, an alleged member of the original Davao Death Squad (DDS), faced the media following the end of the pre-trial investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC)  on the alleged crimes against humanity under the drug war of the Duterte administration. 

The former policeman, speaking to media from an undisclosed location overseas, said he submitted a 186-page affidavit to the ICC, which he said contains information on the alleged killings perpetrated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and the involvement of his daughter, the current Vice President, in the extrajudicial killings in Davao City. 

“Siya nga ang pasimuno nitong Oplan Tokhang nung naka-upo siya as mayor nung 2012 in-appoint nya si Bato Dela Rosa as Chief of Police ng Davao City,” said Lascañas. 

(She initiated Oplan Tokhang when she was mayor in 2012. She appointed Bato dela Rosa as chief of police in Davao City.)

“Sinabi sa akin ni Bato Dela Rosa na nag-craft sila ng panibago ngayong extra judicial killing na campaign against illegal drugs which is Toktok Hangnyo meaning Tokhang,” he said. 

(Dela Rosa told me they crafted a new extrajudicial killing campaign against illegal drugs which is Tokhang.)

“Mga target personalities sa illegal drugs. Lalo pa ang mga gumagamit ng shabu at nagbebenta. Sabi nya kidnapin ninyo, ilubog ninyo ang target. Parang kaso missing person lang,” Lascañas added.

(The targets were personalities involved in illegal drugs. Most especially those who were using selling shabu. He told us they should be kidnapped or eliminated. To make it appear as a missing person case.)

As for the number of EJK victims in Davao City, he said: “Sa Laud Quarry lang po sa estimation ko lang, mayroon pong mga more or less 3,000. Pero ang total damage na napatay sa Davao City yung nakita at saka yung missing, more or less 10,000”.

(At the Laud Quarry alone, my estimate is around 3,000 fatalities. But the total deaths in Davao City, both known and missing, is more or less 10,000.)

Lascañas said the figures are separate from the victims in the war on drugs of the Duterte administration. 

Aside from the affidavit, the former Davao cop said he also submitted a notebook as evidence to the ICC office of the prosecutor containing information of everything he knows of the alleged killings that were ordered by ex-Pres. Duterte and other allegations involving his daughter Sara and Davao congressman Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte as well as the DDS and the anti-crime task forces created in Davao City.

GMA News Online is still trying to get a comment from the Office of the Vice President and will publish it as soon as it is available.

Sara Duterte previously said she will only face any accusations linking her to the DDS before a Philippine court, pointing out that it was only when she was elected vice president that her name was linked to the controversial group.

A warning to President Marcos

“Panawagan ko po sa Pangulong (Ferdinand) Bongbong Marcos na mag-ingat po at ‘wag po magkumpyansa sa halimaw ng Davao na si Rodrigo Roa Duterte at yan allegedly Vice President Sara 'Tambaloslos' Duterte,” Lascañas said. 

(I am asking President Bongbong Marcos to be careful and not to trust Rodrigo Roa Duterte and allegedly Vice President Sara Duterte.)

“Mga traydor po ang mga ito,” he added. 

(They are traitors.)

Lascañas likewise accused former President Duterte of running a shabu laboratory in Davao Region and that the latter has over 1,000 firearms in his collection.

“Niloloko mo mga Pilipino. Anong ginawa mo? Drug war? Anong drug war? Ikaw ang drug lord. Pinapapatay niya sa grupo namin ni SPO4 Ben Laud yung 11 chinese workers and chemist ng Davao Shabu Lab at ng Barangay Obrero,” he said.

 (You are deceiving the Filipino people. What did you do? A drug war? What drug war? You are a drug lord. He ordered the group under SPO4 Ben Laud and I to kill 11 Chinese workers and a chemist in a Davao shabu lab in Barangay Obrero.) 

“Si Mayor Duterte ang in charge dito sa Southern Mindanao dito sa mga shabu laboratory,” he added. 

(Mayor Duterte was in charge of the shabu laboratories in Southern Mindanao.)

“Ang gun collection ni Mayor Duterte during my time more than 1,000. Galing po ito kay Quiboloy. Nagbi-byahe si Quiboloy dala yung eroplano ni Duterte sa Amerika nagdala yan ng spare parts, silencer. Mga bala. Mga parts,” said Lascañas. 

(The gun collection of Mayor Duterte during the time I was there numbered more than 1,000. They were from Quiboloy when travels to the United States in Duterte’s plane and he brings back spare parts, silencer, rounds of ammunition.) 

Quiboloy is the church leader of the Davao City-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC).

GMA Integrated News sought comment from ex-President Duterte but he has yet to respond. 

Pertaining to his gun collection, Duterte remarked: “Wala akong baril sa bahay na hindi rehistrado. Collectors item man yan, it’s allowed by law. How can you use it against me when the practice of giving a collectors license is allowed by law?”000

(I don't have guns in my house that are not registered. These are collectors' items and allowed under the law.)

Further, Lascañas tagged incumbent Senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go, a former aide when Duterte was Davao City mayor, as the ones giving out orders to the DDS.

Lascañas claimed that Go would collect personal identification data from a certain "Mr. De Guzman" at the Davao City Land Transportation Office (LTO) that includes details such as the target's home address and type of vehicle.

“Pabayaan mo lang yan. Mag-allege lang siya nang mag-allege. Basta malinis ang konsensya ko. Bahala siya sa buhay niya,” dela Rosa said. 

(Let him be. He can allege all he wants but my conscience is clear. Whatever, it’s his life.)

GMA Integrated News reached out to Go, Quiboloy and the other respondents named by Lascañas for comment.—Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News