Vice President Sara Duterte said she has no plans to file a case against former Davao Senior Police Officer Arturo “Arthur” Lascañas, who accused her of being behind “Oplan Tokhang” in Davao City.
In an interview with reporters in Malaysia, Duterte reiterated her dare to those implicating her in the drug war killings to file a case against her.
“Wala akong balak mag-sampa ng kaso sa kanya (Lascañas). In fact, siya ‘yung tsina-challenge ko na mag-sampa ng kaso sa akin ng murder doon sa Pilipinas,” said Duterte.
(I have no intention of filing a case against him. In fact, I’m the one challenging him to file a murder case against me in the Philippines.)
Lascañas is a self-confessed member of the original Davao Death Squad (DDS), which supposedly carried out the killings.
He said he submitted a 186-page affidavit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) containing information on the alleged killings perpetrated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and the involvement of his daughter Sara 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, referring to now Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
(She initiated Oplan Tokhang when she was mayor in 2012. She appointed Bato dela Rosa as chief of police in Davao City.)
Sara denied the accusation, saying that her name was only being dragged into the issue so that she will be included in the ICC investigation.
She previously said that she has yet to receive any document indicating that she’s a respondent in the ICC’s investigation into her father’s drug war campaign.
She also said that she will only face any accusations linking her to the Davao Death Squad before a Philippine court, lamenting that it was only when she was elected vice president that her name was being associated with the controversial group.
The Vice President also said that she has not talked with her father yet regarding the ICC probe.
“Sigurado naman akong meron siguro siyang nakakausap na mga abugado dahil abugado din naman si Pangulong Duterte so naiintinidhan niya yung mga legal implications at mga procedures sa ICC,” Sara said.
(I’m sure that he is talking with other lawyers because President Duterte is also a lawyer, so he understands the legal implications and procedures of the ICC probe.)
Asked if the investigation should be a cause of concern for the Duterte family, Sara said that it is not for her part.
“I cannot speak for the other members of the family. Sa akin hindi naman dahil nakakuha ako ng legal advice sa mga Filipino lawyers na merong alam about international law,” she added.
(It’s not a concern for me because I get legal advice from Filipino lawyers who know about international law.)
Under the drug war, at least 6,200 suspects were killed in police operations based on government records. Human rights groups, however, claimed the actual death toll could be from 12,000 to 30,000.
