THE increasing number of killed suspected drug pushers and other criminals all over the country prompted the Senate, led by Senator Leila De Lima, chairperson of the committee on justice and human rights, to look into these incidents which she labeled as extrajudicial killings (EJKs).
The senate hearing on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) opened last August 23.
But the spotlight of this EJK senate hearing was grabbed by Edgar Matobato, an alleged self-confessed member of the so-called vigilante group Davao Death Squad (DDS). He was presented by De Lima as a witness yesterday.
Several senators and spectators alike were surprised with the appearance of Matobato as his name was not included on the list of witnesses who will testify in the scheduled Senate hearing.
Aside from him being an alleged DDS member, Matobato made noise on several social networking sites after he named President Rodrigo Duterte as the mastermind of the killings of criminals including drug pushers, rapists, and snatchers.
President Duterte, as Matobato described, ordered Matobato and his fellow DDS members to execute criminals in the city.
The witness also implicated President Duterte's son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte in rice and crude oil smuggling, and in the killing of Cebu-based businessman Richard King.
The witness' credibility was immediately put into question by Senators Vicento "Tito" Sotto, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Panfilo "Ping" Lacson as there are details from his testimonies which differ from previous reports.
But the bigger question that Matabato should answer is that why he suddenly came out in the open and made the expose, if indeed these were all true?
It also appeared that De Lima was somehow coaching the witness in his answers.
De Lima, however, remained unfazed with the probe as she was backed by Senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Franklin Drilon, Riza Hontiveros who were staunch allies of the previous administration.
Although President Duterte has yet to issue a statement on Matobato's claims, Communications secretary Martin Andanar does not believe that Duterte is capable of ordering such killings.
"I don't think he is capable of giving directive like that," Andanar said.
Paolo Duterte, in a separate statement, denounced Matobato's claims, reiterating that all of these are just bare allegations.
"What De Lima and this certain Matobato says in public are bare allegations and in the absence of proof are mere hearsay. I will not dignify with an answer the accusations of a madman," the younger Duterte said.
But Cayetano said Matobato's revelations prove that the Liberal Party (LP) is desperate to oust Duterte out of Malacañang.
Who knows Matobato's revelations were just part of De Lima's desperation acts to startle and discredit the Duterte administration as she herself is being investigated for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.