- Warrants out vs self-confessed death squad member for libel, murder
THE REGIONAL Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10 in Davao City has issued multiple alias warrants of arrest against former police officer Arturo B. Lascañas for cyber-libel, murder, and attempted murder.
The most recent warrant, dated June 9, 2025, and docketed as R-DVO-24-02594-CR, ordered Lascañas’ arrest for online libel under Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10175).
The bail for this charge has been set at ₱48,000.
In addition to the cybercrime charge, the court has issued warrants for far more serious offenses.
In the criminal case R-DVO-17-02087-CR, an alias warrant for murder was issued on Oct. 16, 2020, with no bail recommended.
Furthermore, two related cases, R-DVO-17-02086-CR and R-DVO-17-02085-CR, both for attempted murder, each carry a bail of ₱120,000.
In all instances, the court has instructed law enforcement to execute the warrants within 10 days of receipt and to submit a return detailing the outcome.
The warrants list possible addresses for Lascañas in Bariquit Compound, Sitio San Andres, Barangay Indangan, Davao City, and Roseville Subdivision, Buhangin, Davao City.
The complainants in the murder and attempted murder cases include officers from the Philippine National Police in Davao City, the Bureau of Immigration, and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Lascañas, a retired police officer and self-confessed member of the so-called Davao Death Squad, has been facing multiple criminal cases for years. During a Senate hearing in February 2017, he claimed to have killed over 300 people on the orders of Duterte.
In 2021, the International Criminal Court gave him limited immunity in exchange for his confession about his role in the death squads and how former president Rodrigo Duterte orchestrated the entire operation.
Lascañas left the country for Singapore in 2017. As of this writing, neither the PNP nor Interpol has confirmed if efforts are underway to locate and apprehend Lascañas.
Photo courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines
