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Trillanes: Matobato a 'very credible' witness

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/nation/9/15/edgar-matobato-nppa-091516.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Witness Edgar Matobato <em>Joseph Vidal, PRIB/NPPA Images</em></div></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA – Despite the denials of President Duterte&#x27;s kin and allies of &quot;Davao Death Squad&quot; (DDS) assassin Edgar Matobato&#x27;s testimony, Senator Antonio Trillanes said the witness is &quot;very credible.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Sa kabuuan, very credible siya as a witness. Marami ang minention niya na details na hindi pwedeng malaman ng kung sinu-sino lang (As a whole, he is very credible as a witness. He mentioned a lot of details that not just anyone would know),&quot; Trillanes said of Matobato, who was questioned by lawmakers during a hearing of the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee on Thursday.</p><p>READ: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/15/16/duterte-ordered-killing-of-sisters-lover-lto-fixer-claims-witness" target="_blank">Duterte ordered killing of sister&#x27;s lover, LTO fixer, claims witness</a></p><p>Even Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has heard of Matobato as a &quot;notorious hit man,&quot; Trillanes said, and added that it is understandable that there are some holes in his testimony because it&#x27;s been years since Matobato worked as a hit man from 1988 to 2013.</p><p>The bottom line, Trillanes said, is that &quot;here is a witness who in my opinion is very credible, kailangan lang natin icheckout ang ilang detalye.&quot;</p><div><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/09/15/16/watch-cayetano-trillanes-clash-in-senate-hearing" target="_blank">WATCH: Cayetano, Trillanes clash in Senate hearing</a></div><p>However, it remains to be seen what the public will want to do with the president, who was named by Matobato as one of the DDS&#x27;s supposed main patrons.</p><p>&quot;Maraming options iyan. Pero ayaw ko munang pumunta doon bago mag-ouster step. Mayroon pang sequence of hearings, makikita natin,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;This is a democracy. Nasa taong bayan kung gusto mong mamamatay tao ang presidente mo. Then, sige lang. Tanggapin natin. Kung hindi, may options available.&quot;</p><div><strong>&#x27;MADMAN&#x27;</strong></div><p>President Duterte&#x27;s eldest son has denied Matobato&#x27;s allegations that they used his services as an assassin to further their own personal and political goals.</p><p>&quot;What de Lima and this certain Matobato say in public are bare allegations in the absence of proof. They are mere hearsay. I will not dignify with an answer the accusations of a madman,&quot; Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte said in a statement.</p><p>READ: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/15/16/paolo-duterte-denies-drug-abuse-links-to-vigilante-slays" target="_blank">Paolo Duterte denies drug abuse, links to vigilante slays</a></p><p>The vice mayor, Matobato said, allegedly asked him to kill a rival for a woman&#x27;s attention.</p><p>The president’s sister also denied allegations that Matobato was ordered to kill a dance instructor who was reported to be her lover.</p><p>READ: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/15/16/dutertes-sister-denies-lover-was-chopped-up-by-death-squad" target="_blank">Duterte&#x27;s sister denies lover was chopped up by &#x27;death squad&#x27;</a></p><p>&quot;That is a total lie. Malaking kasinungalingan yan,&quot; Jocelyn Duterte said, and labeled the alleged expose a &quot;politically motivated plot&quot; masterminded by Senator Leila De Lima.</p><p>While Malacanang has denied Matobato&#x27;s allegations, Duterte has kept his silence on the issue, and instead said on Thursday, during a visit to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Tecson, Bulacan, that he will release a third &quot;narco-list&quot; naming local government officials and policemen who are supposedly supporters of the illegal drug trade.</p>

<p>MANILA – Despite the denials of President Duterte's kin and allies of "Davao Death Squad" (DDS) assassin Edgar Matobato's testimony, Senator Antonio Trillanes said the witness is "very credible."</p>

MANILA – Despite the denials of President Duterte's kin and allies of "Davao Death Squad" (DDS) assassin Edgar Matobato's testimony, Senator Antonio Trillanes said the witness is "very credible."