arturo lascañas

If this latest development coming from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands is true, then this may be worth a celebration by those who believe former President Rodrigo R. Duterte is innocent. Duterte is now detained in an ICC-run jail in The Hague for his alleged commission of crimes against humanity.

At the same time, the same development could be a cause of anxiety by those who are strongly convinced that the former President is guilty of such crimes, he being pointed to as the man who launched a bloody “war on drugs” that his accusers claim to have resulted in the deaths of thousands, including those who are innocent and merely simple suspects or collaterals in the war.

Actually, we are referring to the decision of the ICC to grant the petition of the former Philippine President to move the deadline of the submission of documents in support to his defense. Clearly, that is one small victory, at least for the time being.

Yes, we too consider the ICC ruling as initial victory for the accused former President. Clearly, the postponement of the deadline will allow the defense team more time to gather those documents and/or exact testimonies from those willing to support the former chief executive’s cause.

Moreover, Duterte’s defense lawyers may have more time to study the documents and argue their case using inputs provided in whatever documents procured to beef up the former President’s defense scheme.

But again, they cannot be overly confident.

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So the local Regional Trial Court in Davao City has issued several warrants of arrest against former Police Officer Arturo Lascañas. The policeman confessed he was a leading member of a death squad allegedly created by former President Duterte who was mayor of Davao City for many years.

Lascanas detailed his personal involvement in the killing of suspected drug traders and even users, claimed he decided to confess because he was already bothered by his conscience.

The addresses provided in the arrest warrants however, may have already been long abandoned by the accused police officer. The last time we have heard of him is that he was already out of the country with members of his family. His flight was reported to have been bankrolled by certain persons and organizations who have interest in the pursuance of the cases against the alleged creator of the death squad that originally operated in Davao City and later appeared to have been replicated at the national level.

With Lascanas unlikely to be found by the tracking teams of the law, what is going to happen to the cases he is facing in Davao City. And with the weight of his confession of involvement and his direct identification of the so-called founder of the death squad in his (former President Duterte) still to be tried crimes against humanity, will the police be persistent in finding Lascanas’ whereabouts?

And yes, there was this other guy who also confessed his participation in the many cases of killing suspected drug traders and users. Yes, he was not a policeman but a member of the police/military multiplier group CAFGU.

Were there no cases filed against him? Is that guy less consequential than Police officer Lascanas? Or, are the remnants of the Davao Death Squad merely biding their time and when opportunity comes will just add the man to the statistics of deaths by liquidation?

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Well, we have yet to hear or read of reports of a member of the Davao City Council introducing proposed measures highly relevant to the present condition of the city. Like, what is their take on the apparent undeterred “development aggression” in areas that are supposed to be buffers to avoid further environmental degradation?

Has any of our Councilors ever conducted ocular visits to the banks of the city’s major waterways like Davao River, Suwawan river and its creek tributaries? Have our councilors walked through the upstream of the Lizada River in Toril?

Have they done so, they could have gathered inputs that could help them craft local legislations that may help prevent or reduce substantially the flooding in the city center or in the lower plains.

Say, how many of our local lawmakers know how massive is the destruction of river banks as a result of the wanton extraction of boulders and sand and gravel by greedy concessionaires? And do they know how many cubic meters of sand and gravel, as well as mountain mix are excluded from the reports submitted by personnel of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) assigned to monitor the number of haulers and the volume of its load coming from the concession areas?

Believe you us guys, these employees are extremely happy along with officials of the barangays where monitoring checkpoints are established.

So much that they are not even worried if their salary releases are delayed by months.

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