Lascañas insists DDS killed Duterte sister's dance instructor

MANILA - Arturo Lascañas stands by his statement at a Senate hearing that the Davao Death Squad (DDS) killed a dance instructor of President Rodrigo Duterte's sister, despite a man surfacing on Facebook to belie the former police officer's claims.

In an interview on ANC, Lascañas said SPO4 Sonny Buenaventura, who was Duterte's security aide and alleged middleman to the Davao Death Squad, instructed them to kill a dance instructor who allegedly hurt Duterte's sister.

"Through sa utos rin ni Sonny Bueneventura. According to Sonny, niloko yung kapatid ni mayor, nag-complain kay mayor," he said.

He added that they did not know the name of the man they killed and only followed Buenaventura's orders.

Speaking to senators earlier this week, Lascañas supported an earlier statement by fellow self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato that the DDS, which they link to Duterte, killed the dance instructor who was reportedly the lover of Duterte's sister, Jocelyn.

• READ: Lascañas backs Matobato: DDS killed dance instructor of Duterte's sister

But Ruben Baguio, who claims to be Jocelyn's dance instructor, posted photos and a message on his social media account Tuesday, a day after Lascañas' testimony to say that he is alive and well.

Lascañas said if this is true, Buenaventura should explain who was the man he had them abduct and kill.

"Ang dapat mag-explain niyan si Sonny Buenaventura kung sino in-abduct namin na sinabi niyang dance instructor," he said.

He maintained that he, Matobato, and other policemen who were their new recruits into the DDS, brought the dance instructor to a quarry and stabbed him to death.

"Nakita ko, kami ang nag-abduct; ako ang back-up car, si Edgar ang isa sa mga humahatak nun...Nung dinala na namain sa quarry sinabi ko kay Edgar na 'automatic' na iyan. As per instruction ni Sonny, patayin, ilibing na dun," he said.