A retired cop claimed that then mayor of Davao City has paid his group to kill a broadcaster.
RETIRED – Former police officer SPO3 Arthur Lascañas claimed that Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte has ordered his group to take away Jun Pala’s life way back when he was still the mayor of Davao City.
Contrary to the claims that he has made last October when a Senate hearing regarding the alleged extrajudicial killings was held, SPO3 Lascañas now speaks against Pres Duterte based on a recent news report in Inquirer.
According to the news report, the retired cop claimed that on the 6th of September 2003, the former mayor of Davao City and now the President of the country has tasked him and his group to kill broadcaster Juan Pala Jr. or more commonly known as Jun Pala.
According to SPO3 Lascañas, the then-Mayor of Davao City wanted to kill Pala as the broadcaster continuously attacks him on his radio program.
He said that it was through SPO4 Sonny Buenaventura, the driver of the former Davao City mayor, that he was hired for the task. The retired cop also claimed that his group was offered P3 million for the death of the broadcaster.
SPO3 Lascañas also narrated that it was on their third attempt that they were able to accomplish the task through the aid of Jerry Trosio, the part-time bodyguard of the broadcaster.
Based on the news report, the retired officer claimed that he and SPO4 Buenaventura divided the P1 million between them and gave the P2 million to Jim Tan, the alleged hitman.
According to him, Tan took the P1 million and handed over the remaining money to the other gunmen.
“This is the whole truth about the Pala murder case. Now this is considered solved. I am one of those who killed Jun Pala,” the retired cop said according to the report.
Previously, it was Edgar Matobato, the self-confessed hitman of the former mayor of Davao City, who claimed that the retired cop was the head of the alleged Davao Death Squad which SPO3 Lascañas put down the allegation before.
It was also Matobato, based on a previous news report, who claimed that he saw Mr. Duterte kill.