WORLD | Thousands of demonstrators across US say 'Not My President'

A rally against Donald Trump stretches a few blocks along Central Park West in New York, Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. Demonstrators unhappy with President Donald Trump's policies attended a "Not My Presidents Day" rally. AP/Seth Wenig

           

WASHINGON D.C.  - Thousands of demonstrators turned out Monday across the U.S. to challenge Donald Trump in a Presidents Day protest dubbed Not My President's Day.

The events on the federal holiday didn't draw nearly as many people as the million-plus who thronged the streets following the Republican president's inauguration a month earlier, but the message was similar.

Thousands of flag-waving protesters lined up outside Central Park in Manhattan. Many in the crowd chanted "No ban, no wall. The Trump regime has got to fall." They held aloft signs saying "Uphold the Constitution Now" and "Impeach the Liar."

A rally in downtown Los Angeles also drew thousands. Demonstrators there called attention to Trump's crackdown on immigration and his party's response to climate change and the environment. Organizers said they chose to rally on the holiday as a way to honor past presidents by exercising their constitutional right to assemble and peacefully protest.

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In Chicago, several hundred rallied across the river from the Trump Tower, shouting "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go."

Rebecca Wolfram of Chicago, who's in her 60s, said concerns about climate change and immigrant rights under Trump prompted her to start attending rallies.

"I'm trying to demonstrate as much as possible until I figure out what else to do," said Wolfram, who held a sign that said "Old white ladies are really displeased."

Several hundred demonstrated in Washington, D.C. Dozens gathered around the fountain in Dupont Circle chanting "Dump Trump" and "Love, not hate: That's what makes America great."

Dozens marched through midtown Atlanta for a rally named with a Georgia flavor: "ImPEACH NOW! (Not My) President's Day March."

Hundreds of protesters chanting "This is what democracy looks like" marched through Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/2kFqWIG) that the crowd marched to push back against Trump and his administration's stance on such issues as the environment, immigration, free speech and Russia.

Some people raised signs that said "Not My President," while others held up a large American flag. Protester Reg Brookings warned the crowd that Trump is trying to divide the country by making such groups as immigrants the enemy.

A small but unruly group of protesters faced off with police in downtown Portland, Oregon.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2lfx6xL) the police confronted the crowd in front of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building. Police took some people into custody.

Hundreds of Trump opponents and supporters turned out in Rapid City, South Dakota.
A larger anti-Trump faction stood on a street corner as part of a "Not My President" protest, similar to other demonstrations being held across the country. A group supporting the president lined up on a different corner at the same intersection.
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Walker reported from New York City. Associated Press writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta, Tammy Webber in Chicago, Alanna Durkin Richer in Richmond and Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Washington, contributed to this story.

ENTERTAINMENT | The Moffatts magic: Filipinos still crazy for ‘90s boyband

The Moffatts during their Farewell Tour press con (bottom left photo by Philstar/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo) and concert (top photo by Philstar/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV). Thousands of smartphones from fans lit up during the band's concert in Araneta Coliseum last weekend (bottom right photo by Philstar/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo). By Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/Philstar

   

MANILA, Philippines — During the 1990s, the youth had to pick sides a lot – between the Spice Girls or All Saints, Backstreet Boys or NSync, Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or Bret Hart, Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. And of course, there is Hanson versus The Moffatts.

Last Saturday, Team Moffatts won in Araneta Coliseum. To this day, The Moffatts remain as the biggest-selling international band of all time in the Philippines.

High school sweethearts of yesteryear came in the concert with their children in tow. Some women in the audience were even heavily pregnant. But on that night, everyone was 14 again, waving their smart phones’ flashlights as they sing along with the band’s hits, including “I’ll Be There for You,” “Bang Bang Boom,” “Crazy,” “Love,” “Until You Love Me” and “Always in My Heart.”

The boys also debuted their latest singles from their new branding, as Scott Moffatt and Bob and Clint’s Endless Summer. Of course, they saved the best ones for last and did not complete their Farewell Tour in Manila without rendering “Life is So Short,” “Girl of My Dreams,” “Girls of the World,” where The Philippines has been immortalized, and “Miss You Like Crazy,” which was number one in the country for 14 to 15 weeks straight.

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“The last time we were here 16 years ago, there were no cellphones yet,” Scott said, describing the dance of lights as “memorable” and reminiscent of space in the movie “La La Land.”

“’Miss You like Crazy’ is one of the biggest songs of our time,” Clint admitted in a press conference prior to the show. “You can never predict success. We never thought that’s it’s going to happen. It just happened.”

Brothers Scott, Clint, and Bob, collectively known as The Moffatts, performed live at the Araneta Coliseum for their Farewell Tour last Saturday. Philstar/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

The Moffatts' Farewell Tour in Manila was well-received by Filipino fans, who sang along and flashed their smartphones in support of the group. Philstarm/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV

The Moffatts' Farewell Tour in Manila was well-received by Filipino fans, who sang along and flashed their smartphones in support of the group. Philstar/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

The Moffatts' Farewell Tour in Manila was well-received by Filipino fans, who sang along and flashed their smartphones in support of the group. Philstar/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Throwback to long hair

Formed in their native Canada, The Moffatts was composed of brothers Scott, Bob, Clint and Dave. Scott was born in 1983, while the triplets were born a year after.

From a country music vocal band, they rose to international stardom with the release of their first pop rock album, “Chapter 1: A New Beginning” in 1998, with the hit single “I’ll Be There For You.”

 WATCH: The Moffatts - "I'll Be There For You"

YouTube/Runawayrun89

“People saw us as a boyband. We really didn’t see it that way. We just continued to be who we were,” Scott explained in the press con. “We respected a lot of other boy bands like NSync. We never saw ourselves as that…We didn’t allow people to say to us who we were and what we were.”

Scott recalled that they wrote a song by asking each other to contribute a line to a melody. When they were young, instead of telling stories, they would sing fairytales and put twists into them as they boarded the ferry from Victoria to Vancouver.

“Girl of My Dreams,” said Scott, pertains to “no girl in particular.”

“Some songs are from personal experience,” confessed Bob. “Writing a song is like an actor creating a scene. You create a hook or an idea, then anybody can attach to that.”

According to Clint, all their hits are the first ones they wrote together. “Scott started writing at a very young age. We had no idea that those songs are going to be embraced so massively.”

When the band toured their first album in Manila 16 years ago, the boys had their biggest audience ever at the Hard Rock Café in Manila. In fact, the glass door broke because so many people tried to get in. Their show in SM Megamall drew close to 40,000 people.

“That airport craziness…about 30,000 people in the mall, girls climbing to the speakers, that kind of reception we never experienced before,” Bob said of his most memorable time in the Philippines. “We haven’t experienced so many people like that. It was crazy!”

“Back in our days, we were doing about 100 shows a year,” shared Clint.

“There’s a lot of fun. We’ve had a lot of great memories of the ‘90s. Coming back here makes us relive some of the best memories that we had,” said Bob. “The passion that fans had for us is what I missed.”

Because of the great reception the band got from The Philippines, they made sure to include the country in the song, “Girls of the World.”

“The one thing that we can say about our Filipino fans is that they’re extremely loyal. They’re passionate. They always welcome us with smiles, beautiful smiles. And they’ve been there for us the whole time. That’s a really cool and admirable trait that they have,” said Bob.

Bob and Clint returned to the Philippines as the duo Same Same and collaborated with Filipino singer-actress Lovi Poe. When asked if they ever have been linked to a Filipina during one of their visits, Clint told Philstar: “We’re just friends with Lovi. We never got to know Filipino girls on a personal level.”

Bob, however, said of Filipinas: “They’re gorgeous! Beautiful! Really nice.”

The band released a second album, “Submodalities,” in 2000 before disbanding in 2001. But even after separating, they were told that Filipinos still buy their records like crazy, said Bob.

Thus, six months ago, the brothers decided to reunite since “Filipinos have always been incredibly kind to us,” said Bob.

“It’s not really about getting back and making a lot of money; we just want to have fun,” clarified Clint.

“It will also be fun to bring our new music to the Philippines to share and carry on the relationship and hopefully they’ll enjoy the new tunes,” added Scott.

The brothers talked to Dave to join them, but Dave has been a yoga instructor for the past 10 years and that has been his passion in life, explained Clint.

“It’s really nice if Dave is here,” said Scott. Bob sang Dave’s parts in the concert. Bob also got back into playing drums, which he was not able to do so for years.

Even after disbanding, the brothers stayed close to each other. Scott stayed in Canada and is still into pop rock, while Bob and Clint formed a country duo, Same Same, which they renamed, Endless Summer. They are based in Nashville.

“Since 16 years ago, Clint has become more comfortable in his own skin. When we were young, he had his insecurities. Now, he’s more confident,” shared Scott, who has since, cut his signature long hair and replaced it with a hat and a pair of glasses.

“As I’ve grown older, the more that I’ve gotten blind,” he told Philstar in a jest. “The hair? There’s still some left. I was thinking of getting a wig!”

Clint, who used to get embarrassed easily, believes that in the past years, “there’s more depth into our lives.”

The brothers also got themselves some tattoos. Scott got his first a few days after he turned 18, the same tattoo as Dave’s. “I took a pain killer so I will not feel the pain as much,” professed Scott, who got his second tattoo on his neck after partying in Thailand. He thinks the tattoo looks like Bob’s.

Clint, meanwhile, has a tattoo of their dog, their family crest, and a design he drew.

“I don’t party at all and I don’t have sex,” Scott said in response to Philstar's query if they also experienced sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll.

“We partied sometimes then,” Clint admitted. “But we’re not here to just be wild and crazy and all. We’re here to make music. Basically, throughout our entire career, the emphasis is on creating music and getting better as artists. The partying was never, ever the focus.”

“A lot of other musicians were in the music industry for the girls, the money, the fame, the booze. We wanted to make music. We got in it to make music. We cut it loose sometimes, but our goal was to make music and do the best we could,” added Scott, who takes care of his voice by taking tea instead of smoking and drinking alcohol.

1990 now

Bob might be married and a lot of things have changed since their last visit to Manila, but some things remain the same, he said.

“We’re still immature. Our songs really didn’t change ,” noted Bob, who is happy that their songs also appeal to a younger generation.

“Singing it just feels second nature,” added Scott, not feeling awkward to sing the anthems of his youth even if he has gotten older and his voice, more mature and masculine.

“The moment I sing these songs, waves of memories come back, I come back (to being a teenager again),” remarked Clint.

They have managed to stay “cute” by trying “to be as healthy as we can” and eating right, said Bob.

“What you do with your life, if you’re having fun doing what you’re doing, that plays a big role,” Clint added.

Clint Moffatt singing singles from his and Bob's new band, Endless Summer. Philstar/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV

Their supposed rivalry with Hanson is “still very strong,” said Bob. “We think of them every day,” he said further.

“I actually met those guys. My wife’s a big Hanson fan…I took her to a show in Nashville and it turns out that they’re actually fans of ours. They like the ‘Submodalities’ record. They’re really nice guys and I think we have a mutual respect for what we’re doing at that time.”

Though Scott has not yet met the brothers that comprise Hanson, he believes “what they’re doing is cool.”

Through social media, they got in touch with other ‘90s artists, including Next of Kin and singer-heartthrob Gil.

WATCH: Gil Ofarim & The Moffatts - "If You Only Knew" 

YouTube/Kwangbencha

“In the ‘90s, there were no social media, so there’s much attention drawn into a concert. The show ends in the live performance, which was then, more cozy and human, more earthy,” he explained. “Now, with social media, there’s non-stop celebrity. But it also allowed us to stay in contact with our fans and have a give and take relationship.”

Scott admitted that he also gets bashed a lot online. “We’re all flawed…so somebody really disagrees with something that I say, because I say a lot of stupid things. But I think it’s cool when we can have conversations about things and we try to understand one another. We become better through these conversations. Not to say that you’re right or I’m right, but to come to a conclusion is a happy thing.”

As he and his brothers leave the Philippines, he wishes his fans would remember him as an “authentic” artist. In turn, he remembers the Philippines as “a big part of their proudest moment as a band” because Filipinos are always there for them.

“They’re still going crazy and having a fun time and screaming like really enjoying the moment,” he observed.

Bob and Clint will be back to Nashville to continue composing songs and performing. During their downtime, they like to play videogames. Clint is also a “great camera guy,” said Scott, while Bob also plays hockey.

Scott will be back to Canada to continue writing songs and to release a new album by April or May. He vowed that the Philippines will be the first to hear his new songs from the album. He performs live on Facebook every Friday.

What keeps him busy when not strumming his guitar?

“I can bake!” he revealed. “I bake bread. I can bake sour dough, cinnamon buns from scratch!”

He encourages The Moffatts fans to stay tuned and keep in touch in social media, so that their Farewell Tour will not really mean “goodbye.” In fact, they hope to return for another concert next year.

WORLD | UN probe into Duterte's drug war urged after ex-cop's confession

An emotional retired police officer Arthur Lascañas tells a news conference at the Philippine Senate in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines, Monday, Feb. 20, 2017. Lascanas said President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was a city mayor, ordered and paid him and other members of a so-called liquidation squad to kill criminals and opponents, including a kidnapping suspect and his entire family and a critical radio commentator. AP/Bullit Marquez | By Rosette Adel/Philstar

MANILA, Philippines — The allegations of retiring police officer Arthur Lascañas should prompt an urgent United Nations investigation into the administration's brutal war on drugs, a top human rights agency said.

In a statement on Monday, New York-based Human Rights Watch said Lascañas' allegations heightened the urgent need for an independent probe into the deaths of more than 7,000 individuals in the drug war.

The group said the probe will uncover ultimately responsibility for those crimes.

"The disclosures also suggest possible motivations for the Duterte administration's moves to launch a politically motivated prosecution of Senator Leila de Lima, who as chair of the Commission on Human Rights in 2009 launched the only official investigation into the Davao Death Squad killings," HRW Deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine said.

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On Monday, Lascañas appeared before the media to retract his previous denials that he was involved in the killing of scores of people under the orders of former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is not Philippine president.

Lascañas said that the so-called Davao Death Squad exists, as he was a member of the group purportedly founded by Duterte in 1988.

Kine, meanwhile, repeated an earlier call to Philippine authorities to immediately drop the "political motivated charges" against De Lima.

"The authorities should immediately drop all charges against Senator de Lima, cease their harassment of her and cooperate fully with a UN probe," he said.

In late January, the HRW said the UN should lead an independent investigation into killings linked to  Duterte’s war on drugs.

Prior to that, UN's human rights chief last December 2016 asked the Philippine authorities to investigate Duterte for murder after he claimed to have killed people in the past and to also look into the "shocking number of killings" under his brutal crackdown on illegal drugs.

REGION | House to probe mega shabu lab in Catanduanes

The Scene of the Crime Operatives conducts an inventory of the materials and equipment used in the manufacture of shabu in the clandestine drug lab discovered in Barangay Palta, Virac, Catanduanes. Bicol Standard, File photo | By Melissa Basmayor/Philstar

           

VIRAC, Philippines  - The scheduled congressional inquiry regarding the mega shabu lab that was uncovered here will be in aid of legislation, and not to malign politicians.

This is the statement issued by the camp Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento in reaction to insinuations that he may be using the inquiry to damage the reputation of Gov. Joseph Cua.

Other camps believe that this is the opportunity for Cua to clear his name, which has come up in previous reports.

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The probe was agreed upon by the members of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs headed by Rep. Ace Barbers based on a house bill filed by Sarmiento.

Among the scheduled activities related to the said inquiry are the following: meeting with local government officials, briefing on the drug situation by the regional Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), ocular inspection of the shabu laboratory, and public hearing at the auditorium of Catanduanes State University.

The resource persons include representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, PNP, National Bureau of Investigation, AFP Region 5, Philippine Ports Authority Region 5, Philippine Coast Guard Region 5, Office of Transport Security, Land Transportation Authority, and the Maritime Industry Authority.

It will be recalled that the mega shabu lab was uncovered here on Nov. 26, 2016 at Barangay Palta Small.

Both Cua and Mayor Samuel Laynes, whose names were mentioned in earlier reports, categorically denied knowledge or participation in the construction and operation of the shabu lab.
There were other persons who were named in the police report, including Jason Gonzales Uy and three unidentified Chinese men, who are all still at large.

The mega shabu laboratory was constructed in the property of a certain Sarah Sarmiento and leased by Angelica Balmadrid, who is allegedly the common-law wife of NBI Region 7 director, lawyer Eric Isidoro.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview by the Bicol Standard with Chief Superintendent Melvin Buenafe, PNP Regional Director, he said they have submitted their reports regarding their own investigation to the government authorities.

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Melissa Basmayor is the editor-in-chief of the Bicol Standard

NATION | Ex-cop: I killed broadcaster on Rody’s order

Retired police officer Arthur Lascañas speaks during a press conference at the Senate yesterday, confessing to a litany of brutal crimes allegedly ordered by President Duterte. GEREMY PINTOLO  | By Paolo Romero/Philstar           

                        

MANILA, Philippines - Tired of incessant criticism when he was mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte took out a P3-million contract to kill broadcaster Jun Pala, and then gave a P1-million bonus when the deed was done.

This was the claim made yesterday by one of three policemen who allegedly carried out the still unsolved assassination in 2003, as he came out in public to insist that President Duterte set up death squads in his home city that were responsible for the summary execution of about 1,000 crime suspects.

“Consider the Jun Pala murder case solved. I was one of those who killed Jun Pala,” Arthur Lascañas said yesterday, four months after he faced a Senate inquiry and denied the existence of Davao death squads.

Malacañang dismissed Lascañas’ story as a “demolition job”

orchestrated by staunch Duterte critic Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who arranged yesterday’s press conference.

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Flanked by members of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), Lascañas narrated: “The first time mayor Duterte sat as mayor of Davao City, we started what we call salvaging of people, criminal and drug suspects in Davao.”

“We implement the personal orders of Duterte… in all the killings we do in Davao City – whether burying them or throwing them at sea – we’re being paid by mayor Rodrigo Duterte,” Lascañas said.

In changing his version of events, Lascañas explained that he was bothered by his conscience.
Duterte in previous interviews had denied having Pala killed, but said the broadcaster deserved his fate and that some journalists invited assassination. The statement drew condemnation from media groups at the start of Duterte’s presidency.

Brothers, pregnant woman

In tears, Lascañas claimed he even had his two brothers killed for involvement in drugs.

Allegedly on Duterte’s order, Lascañas’ death squad also executed the suspected mastermind in the kidnapping of a certain Mrs. Abaca, who was freed after ransom was paid.

The kidnapping suspect, a certain Mr. Patasaja, was intercepted in his Ford Fiera in General Santos City. But he was with his wife, who was seven months pregnant; their son who was about five years old; the target’s 70-year-old father-in-law and two helpers, a man and a woman.

Lascañas said the five were brought to the Laud quarry in Davao City where Patasaja was taken to a separate structure for interrogation.

A certain Major Macasaet reportedly briefed Duterte about the case and returned later to the quarry with instructions to “erase all.” Lascañas said Duterte wanted the killing to be “clean.”

Lascañas claimed that he pleaded with his cohorts to spare the boy and take him to a bus station so he could get out of Davao. But Lascañas claimed his cohorts warned that the boy would remember their faces and would get back at them when he grew up and could no longer be recognized by the death squad members.

“Here, evil prevailed,” Lascañas said. A silenced .22-caliber pistol was used on the family and their helpers.

Blind obedience

Facing the media at the Senate in what he described as a “public confession,” Lascañas said he carried out the “salvagings” out of “blind obedience and loyalty” to Duterte.

Death squad members were also paid from P20,000 to P100,000 “depending on the status of the target,” he said.

He claimed he also received an allowance from Duterte’s office amounting to P100,000. It was not clear if this was a regular monthly payment.

Lascañas has just retired from the Philippine National Police with the rank of special police officer 4. He declined to take questions from reporters.

During the hearing conducted by the Senate committee on justice last year, he was described by self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato as part of Duterte’s inner circle. Matobato claimed he received assassination instructions from Lascañas.

FLAG lawyers Arno Sanidad and Jose Ma. Diokno said Lascañas would tell all under oath in a proper government investigation. In the meantime, Lascañas will be given protection as his life may be in danger.

Take your time

Lascañas alleged that an “angry” Duterte put out the P3-million contract to kill Pala. Lascañas said he took the contract together with a certain SPO4 Sonny Buenaventura and SPO1 Jim Tan, who had many “players” or hitmen who are former communist rebels in his stable.

Pala survived two assassination attempts by the group. Lascañas said he apologized for the failed hits when he ran into Duterte at a shopping mall. But the mayor allegedly told him in the Visayan dialect, “Take your time. Don’t hurry.”

They were able to assassinate Pala outside his house with the help of the victim’s bodyguard, who they were able to turn into an informant for P350,000.

Lascañas sought forgiveness from the children of his two brothers whom he had ordered killed, saying it was the first time he had divulged his deeply held secret.

“I call on the PNP… killing is not the solution. This is against the law and against the law of God. We will be haunted by our conscience,” Lascañas said. “I may be killed but I’m now contented in fulfilling my promise to God in making this public confession.”
New EJK probe sought

During the afternoon session at the Senate, Trillanes sought a reinvestigation into extrajudicial killings.

Sens. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros in separate statements backed the reopening of the inquiry.

Hontiveros described the revelations as a direct stab at the credibility of Duterte, undermining his “moral capacity to lead.”

“They strengthen suspicions that the death squads responsible for thousands of unsolved extrajudicial killings are state sanctioned,” she said.

De Lima described Lascañas’ allegations as “hair-raising.”

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said while any senator may file a resolution for an investigation based on Lascañas’ claims, there is no assurance that it will push through.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said Trillanes’ manifestation would be referred to the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Sotto said the Senate justice committee, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, would also have to be informed of Trillanes’ manifestation.

Sanidad and Diokno said it would be up to members of the House of Representatives to decide whether or not to push for Duterte’s impeachment.

They said Lascañas’ statements and the affidavits he would issue in the coming weeks could be used by concerned government bodies to investigate Duterte.

NATION | De Lima: Lascañas statement backs up Matobato claims

Sen. Leila de Lima called the sudden appearance of SPO3 Arthur Lascañas, the alleged leader of the supposed Davao Death Squad "hair-raising" and believes he has more to reveal. STAR/Geremy Pintolo, File | By Kristian Javier

           

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Leila de Lima said on Monday that the sudden appearance of SPO3 Arthur Lascañas bolsters claims made by supposed hitman Edgar Matobato at Senate hearings that she presided over last year.

 

Earlier, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyers Alexander Padilla, Arno Sanidad and Jose Manuel Diokno presented Lascañas, who said that he had actually been involved in summary killings in Davao City.

 

"Totoo po ang existence ng Davao Death Squad," Lascañas said in a televised press conference.

ronald

"Totoo ang mga sinabi ni Mr. Matobato. Nilalitlait nila si Mr. Matobato, kinuwestyon nila yung credibility, ako rin nilait-lait rin nila ako for producing Mr. Matobato and here comes this very very explosive development from Mr. Lascañas," De Lima said.

 

De Lima said that it might be because of a guilty conscience that Lascañas, who last year denied the existence of the Davao Death Squad vigilante group, came forward.

 

"Hindi na daw kaya ng kunsensya. Yun ho ang tingin ko sa development na 'yan," De Lima said. 

 

Matobato claimed last September that President Rodrigo Duterte formed the DDS while mayor of Davao City and ordered the group to kill mostly suspected criminals. 

 

President Duterte, who was elected on a campaign promise to be tough on crime and drugs, has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying that the DDS was a political tool used by his rivals.

 

"Nung lumabas po si Lascañas ay talagang nagulat kami. It's such a hair-raising thing," De Lima said in a televised ambush interview at the Senate compound in Pasay City.

 

She added that she did not expect Lascañas, the supposed leader of the DDS to show himself, and called the event "explosive."

 

De Lima said that she had to move a press conference scheduled at 11 a.m. to Tuesday after she was advised that Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV would hold one at 10 a.m.

 

She added that she asked Trillanes to give way because she wanted to talk about drug cases that the government has filed against her and that she claims are politically motivated.

 

"Yung balik po sa akin as relayed to me, hindi na po puwedeng ma-cancel ni Senator Trillanes yung presscon na yun kasi it's really something big daw yung ipapasabog," De Lima said.

 

De Lima said that any committee able to do so should resume the investigations into the killings. Sen. Richard Gordon, who handled proceedings after De Lima was deposed as Justice committee chairperson, has already closed the investigation into supposed extrajudicial killings.

 

He said the committee had not found evidence of the state backing the killings of drug suspects.

 

"Hindi po ito kailangan ipag-balewala nanaman, dahil nga ho on it's face, corroborative yung mga sinabi ni Lascañas," De Lima said.

WORLD | Ex-officials: Israeli leader spurned secret peace offer

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting, in Jerusalem,

Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, Pool)  | By Aron Heller and Matthew Lee via Associated Press

           

JERUSALEM — Israel's prime minister turned down a regional peace initiative last year that was brokered by then-American Secretary of State John Kerry, former US officials confirmed yesterday, in apparent contradiction to his stated goal of involving regional Arab powers in resolving Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu took part in a secret summit that Kerry organized in the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba last February and included Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The secret meeting was first reported by the Haaretz daily.

According to two former Obama administration officials, Kerry proposed regional recognition of Israel as a Jewish state — a key Netanyahu demand — alongside a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians with the support of the Arab countries. Netanyahu rejected the offer, which would have required a significant pullout from occupied land, saying he would not be able to garner enough support for it in his hard-line coalition government.

The initiative also appeared to be the basis of short-lived talks with moderate opposition leader Isaac Herzog to join the government, a plan that quickly unraveled when Netanyahu chose to bring in nationalist leader Avigdor Lieberman instead and appoint him defense minister.

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Herzog tweeted yesterday that "history will definitely judge the magnitude of the opportunity as well as the magnitude of the missed opportunity."

A former top aide to Kerry confirmed that the meeting took place secretly on Feb. 21, 2016. According to the official, Kerry tried to sweeten the 15-year-old "Arab Peace Initiative," a Saudi-led plan that offered Israel peace with dozens of Arab and Muslim nations in return for a pullout from territories captured in the 1967 Mideast war to make way for an independent Palestine.

Among the proposed changes were Arab recognition of Israel as the Jewish state, recognition of Jerusalem as a shared capital for Israelis and Palestinians, and softened language on the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees to lost properties in what is now Israel, the former official said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was still not authorized to discuss the secret meeting publicly, said the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders reacted positively to the proposal, while Netanyahu refused to commit to anything beyond meetings with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We saw it as building on, or updating, but certainly not superseding" the 2002 Arab initiative, he said.

A second former official said other Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, along with the Palestinians, were also consulted as part of the process.

The official said opposition inside Netanyahu's hard-line government, which is dominated by nationalists opposed to Palestinian independence, presented a formidable obstacle. But he said the Arab partners also showed varying degrees of enthusiasm, with the Palestinians most concerned about concessions forced on them.

Netanyahu himself did not address the report in his weekly Cabinet meeting and his office refused to comment. Instead, the prime minister focused on last week's visit to Washington to meet new President Donald Trump.

At that meeting, both Trump and Netanyahu talked of searching for new ways forward with the Palestinians and raised the possibility of involving the broader Arab world in a new peace process.
Netanyahu called the meeting "historic" and one that strengthened the two countries' longtime alliance. He said at the end of meeting, Trump shook his hand and told him it was a "new day" in Israeli-American relations.

After eight years of testy ties with Barack Obama, Netanyahu seems to be relishing Trump's warm embrace. The new president has broken from his predecessor in adopting friendlier positions to the Israeli government regarding a tough line on Iran, a vaguer stance on Palestinian statehood and a more lenient approach to West Bank settlements.

Netanyahu said the two leaders see "eye to eye" on Iran and a host of other issues. "There is a new day and it is a good day," he said.

But in a joint press conference last week, behind the warm smiles there were signs of trouble ahead.
Trump asked Netanyahu to "hold off" on Jewish settlement construction in occupied territories the Palestinians claim for a future state. Netanyahu said yesterday that the sides have formed joint teams to coordinate settlement construction.

In a striking departure from longtime American policy, Trump also refrained from supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While this pleased Netanyahu's hard line coalition partners, Trump still said whatever solution is reached would have to be acceptable to both sides.

That has raised questions about what kind of agreement could be reached. The alternative, a single binational state, could require Israel to grant citizenship to millions Palestinians under its control, threatening its status as a Jewish-majority democracy.

Lieberman, the Israeli defense minister, said that for him a Palestinian state remains the preferred outcome — and it should come through the type of regional structure Netanyahu reportedly rejected.
"My vision, it's the endgame no doubt, two-state solution. I believe that it's necessary for us to keep the Jewish state," he said at the Munich Security Conference. "The Palestinians don't have capacity to sign a lone final status agreement with Israel. It's possible only as a part of an all-regional solution, not an incremental process but simultaneously."

NATION | Lascañas: Duterte behind the killing of Jun Pala

Former policeman Arthur Lascañas details in a press conference at the Senate some of the killings that were allegedly ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte when he was still mayor of Davao City. Senate PRIB/Released| By Audrey Morallo/Philstar

MANILA, Philippines — A former police officer from Davao City pointed to President Rodrigo Duterte as the mastermind behind the killing of a journalist during his time as the chief executive of the city.

The confession of SPO3 Arthur Lascañas largely corroborated the testimonies of confessed hitman Edgar Matobato before the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Matobato claimed last year that Duterte himself founded the "Davao Death Squad" in 1988 and ordered the killings of criminals. He said that Duterte ordered the assassination of journalist Jun Pala.
On Sept. 6, 2003, Pala was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle while walking home from work. Although Duterte denied involvement in the killing, he said that he knew who was behind Pala's death.

Lascañas, who reappeared at the Senate, said Duterte who was then mayor of Davao City ordered the killing of Pala allegedly because of his hard-hitting comments that did not sit well with the mayor.

He said that a trusted aide and driver of Duterte, SP04 Sonny Buenaventura, contacted him because the then mayor was really angry because of the Pala's critical commentaries of him.

He quoted Buenaventura as saying, "Galit na galit si Mayor Rody kay Jun Pala dahil sa palagi nitong atake araw-araw sa radyo."

Lascañas said: "Sa madaling sabi kami ang nagplano na i-assassinate si Jun Poras Pala."
He said he was hired for P3 million for the killing of Pala, an offer that he accepted.

Lascañas said that after accepting the kill order, he contacted SP01 Jim Tan who supplied him with hitmen.

Tan then tapped Davao rebel returnees Valentin Duhilag, Roland Duhilag, Allan Duhilag and an alias Joy to execute their plan. They also hired the services of Jerry Trucio, a part-time bodyguard of Pala, to provide them with intelligence on the movements of the journalist.

He said that it took them three attempts before they were able to finally gun down the journalist in September 2003.

After the murder, Lascañas and Buenaventura divided P1 million between the two of them while P2 million was given to Tan. Of this amount, another million went to Lascañas while the remaining money was for Tan and his hitmen.

Lascañas was given another P1 million by Duterte several months after the killing, the former police officer narrated.

"Ito po ang buong katotohanan sa Pala murder case. Isa ako sa nagpatay kay Jun Pala," he declared.

SPORT | Quitoy rules Ronda Stage 10 using P100K borrowed bike

Roel Quitoy

TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines – Mindanao's Roel Quitoy nearly quit after he broke his bike in the Angeles-Subic Stage Three more than two weeks ago. And then a Good Samaritan showed up and lent him a bike.

Using that same bike, Quitoy raced his way to his very first lap victory by edging overall leader Jan Paul Morales of Navy-Standard Insurance in Stage 10 of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas that unfolded and ended in front of the Tagaytay Convention Center here Monday.

Quitoy, 25, clocked three hours, 25 minutes and 29 seconds to claim his first ever stage triumph and his biggest paycheck worth P20,000.

He didn't waste time thanking his benefactor.

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"I will not be here right now without sir Paul Tan. He lent me his bike when my bike broke down," said Quitoy, a proud son of Zamboanga City whose father Romeo is a former Tour participant back in the days, in Filipino.

Unlike his P12,000-worth aluminum old bike, which was a little heavier and uses mountain bike gears, this new one was worth about a P100,000 and is made from carbon and lighter, allowing the reed-thin bike mechanic to race faster.
Quitoy showed incredible sprint and climbing skills, towing the chase group that included Morales and then breaking loose with the latter in the ascent in Sampaloc in Batangas to get the lap win.
The 31-year-old Morales, riding the crest of his Stage Nine criterium win in Sta. Rosa, Laguna the day before, had a chance to snatch his fifth lap triumph but decided in the last minute to settle for second in 33:30:50 and allow Quitoy his big moment.
"He worked hard down in Batangas and was with me in the climb and he deserves this win," said Morales of Quitoy. "I hope he gets inspired by this and become an inspiration to the younger riders also when he gets older."
Kinetix Lab-Army's Ronnilan Quita wound up at third while Navy's Jay Lampawog finished at fourth with same times of 3:26:50.
Navy's Rudy Roque, the leader for seven stages before Morales supplanted him in Stage Eight in Daet, Camarines Norte, was at No. 5 while Kinetix Lab-Army's Marvin Tapic and Cris Joven, Navy's Lloyd Lucien Reynante and Joel Calderon and Ilocos Sur's Jheffson Sotto comprised the top 10 with 3:27:49.

Morales, who is already assured of at least P100,000 thanks to his four stage triumphs and a pair of second place performances, fortified his grip of No. 1 with with 33:26:24, or a whopping 4.26 minutes ahead of Roque, who has 33:30:50.

Joven has climbed from No. 5 to No. 3 with 33:34:39 but he was a whopping 8.15 minutes off the pace while Lampawog has made a significant leap from No. 10 to No. 4 with 33:37:48 that pushed Go for Gold's Jonel Carcueva from No. 4 to No. 5 with 33:38:40.

Navy's Daniel Ven Carino and Quita also barged into the top 10 for their strong stage efforts as the two are now in Nos. 9 and 10 with 33:42:51 and 33:45:29, respectively.

Go for Gold's Bryant Sepnio (33:39:09), RC Cola-NCR's Leonel Dimaano (33:39:28) and Ilocos Sur's Ryan Serapio (33:41:39) were at Nos. 6, 7 and 8.

Thanks to Morales, Navy kept its stranglehold of the team race with a total clocking of 134:59:29, or a whopping 47.07-minute lead over closest pursuer Kinetix Lab-Army with 135:46:37.
Go for Gold is at No. 3 with 137:14:12.

The 19-year-old Lampawog's fourth place effort in this lap allowed him to snatch the lead in the best young rider's race from Carcueva.

Morales will continue to wear the red LBC jersey in today's 140-km race where riders will be flagged off in Calamba, Laguna and will finish in Antipolo City.

Ronda is staking P1 million to the champion courtesy of its presentors. By Joey Villar/Philstar

WORLD | Trump steps up security aide search, focuses on health care

President Donald Trump talks to reporters on board Air Force One as he arrived to speak at his "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. AP/Susan Walsh/By Catherine Lucey /Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump brought more contenders for national security adviser to his Palm Beach club for in-person interviews Sunday, hoping to fill the job in the coming days as he seeks to refocus his young administration.

Trump also drilled down on policy during his working weekend at Mar-a-Lago, attending a strategy session on how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, with top aides including Health Secretary Tom Price and Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House budget office.

While in Florida, the president found time for a few holes of golf on Saturday and Sunday. And with his wife, Melania, he stopped by a fundraiser Saturday night at his private Palm Beach club, put on by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Trump also took to Twitter to explain a comment he made about violence in Sweden at a Saturday rally. He suggested that some kind of major incident had taken place in the country Friday night, but on Sunday he said he was referring to something he saw on Fox News. That might have been a report Friday night about the influx of immigrants to Sweden.

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Trump also spoke to the leaders of Panama, Trinidad and Tobago.

After weeks of tumult in Washington, Trump returned to Florida and his private club for a third straight weekend. High on Trump's to-do list is finding a replacement for ousted Michael Flynn as national security adviser.

Scheduled to discuss the job with the president at Mar-a-Lago were his acting adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg; John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster and the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump may interview more candidates and hopes to make the decision soon.

Trump pushed out Flynn last Monday after revelations that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about discussing sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential transition. Trump said in a news conference Thursday that he was disappointed by how Flynn had treated Pence, but did not believe Flynn had done anything wrong by having the conversations.

Trump's first choice to replace Flynn, retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, turned down the offer.
Trump's chief of staff used appearances on the Sunday news shows to echo his boss' complaints about media coverage of the White House and cited what he said were multiple accomplishments in the first few weeks of the Trump presidency.

"The truth is that we don't have problems in the West Wing," Reince Priebus told NBC's "Meet the Press."

Priebus also denied a report that Trump advisers were in touch with Russian intelligence advisers during the 2016 campaign, and said he had assurances from "the top levels of the intelligence community" that it was false.

On health care, top House Republicans last week presented a rough sketch of a health overhaul to rank-and-file lawmakers that would void of President Barack Obama's 2010 law and replace it with conservative policies. It features a revamped Medicaid program for the poor, tax breaks to help people pay doctors' bills and federally subsidized state pools to assist those with costly medical conditions in buying insurance.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has said Republicans would introduce legislation repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act after Congress returns in late February, but he offered no specifics.
The day of presidential business follows a return on Saturday to campaign mode when Trump held a rally before thousands of supporters at an airplane hangar in Melbourne. He revived campaign promises to build a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, reduce regulations and create jobs — and continued his attacks on the media.

The rally was put on by Trump's campaign, not the White House. Trump told reporters he was holding a campaign rally because "life is a campaign."

Trump, who held a rally in the same spot in Florida in September, clearly relished being back in front of his supporters, welcoming the cheers and letting one supporter up on stage to offer praise for the president. He also enjoyed reliving his victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump has lurched from crisis to crisis since the inauguration, including the botched rollout of his immigration order, struggles confirming his Cabinet picks and a near-constant stream of reports about strife within his administration.

Priebus would have none of it.

"The fact of the matter is the level of accomplishment that he's put forward so far in the first 30 days has been remarkable," he told CBS' "Face the Nation."

NATION | Palace denies cases vs De Lima politically motivated

Opposition Senator Leila De Lima, left, talks to her close ally Senator Franklin Drilon prior to delivering her privilege speech at the Philippine Senate session, a day after being ousted from the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016 in Pasay City, Philippines. De Lima, who led an investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-drug campaign, was ousted from the justice committee in a vote that human rights advocates said could derail accountability in the crackdown. AP/Bullit Marquez, File/By Alexis Romero

           

MANILA, Philippines — The drug-related charges against Sen. Leila de Lima are not politically motivated, Malacañang said Monday, as it scored international watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) for supposedly ignoring the seriousness of the drug problem in the Philippines.

 

HRW has asked the Duterte administration to “immediately drop” what it described as the “politically motivated” cases filed by the Justice department against De Lima, a staunch critic of the president’s anti-drug war.  According to the New York-based group, the charges stemmed from “political vindictiveness” that debases the “rule of law” in the country.

 

"Drug cases do not involve one's political beliefs. It involves one's choice to be involved in illegal drugs," Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

 

"De Lima's case is not politically motivated. It is, simply put, 'criminal in nature.' The human rights organization might bear that in mind before it attempts to obligate the Duterte administration," he added.

 

Echoing Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Abella said it is wrong for De Lima to refer to herself as a political prisoner.

 

Last week, the Justice department filed three criminal cases against De Lima and officials of the Bureau of Corrections and the National Bureau of Investigation in relation to the drug trade in New Bilibid Prison before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.

 

De Lima was accused of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which prohibits the sale, administration, dispensation, distribution and transportation of illegal drugs.

 

Abella said HRW "blithely ignored" the approximately one million drug users and dealers who surrendered, the discovery of industrial size illegal drug factories and the "narco-politics" that "has gripped local politics, law enforcement and to some extent the legislative and judicial departments."

 

He also criticized HRW for calling on foreign governments to denounce the Duterte administration for its supposed disregard for basic human rights.  

 

"It (HRW) banally disregards the right of a nation to protect its citizens against the menace of a global drug industry, and terrorist-connected drug trade; and that it has done so with assumption of regularity," President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said.

 

"Instead, it profusely quotes the discredited witness Edgar Matobato, and broadly paints the ‘killings of thousands of alleged drug uses and drug dealers after Duterte took office on June 30’  without carefully delineating what properly belonged to legitimate police operations, internecine, drug trade cleansing, deaths not related to drugs and deaths  under extra-legal means," he added.

 

Matobato previously claimed that he was a member of Davao Death Squad and that Duterte ordered the execution of several people when he was still mayor of the city.

'De Lima should welcome filing of cases'

For Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, De Lima should welcome the filing of cases against her as it would provide her a chance to answer the allegations against her.

 

"What is more important is she has an opportunity to defend herself. She should welcome it," Panelo said in an interview with reporters.

 

Panelo also believes that the regional trial court (RTC) has jurisdiction over the senator’s case.

 

"Republic Act no. 9165 states that all drug cases must be filed at the regional trial court. Moreover, there is a Supreme Court circular as early as last year which states that drug-related cases should be filed before the RTC," he said.

 

"Assuming that they (De Lima camp) are right (to question the jurisdiction of RTC), that’s just jurisdiction, it (case) will be dismissed but it will be refiled again."

NATION | Muntinlupa court raffles off drug cases vs De Lima

The cases of Sen. Leila De Lima were raffled off to Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court's three branches.

The STAR/File/By Rosette Adel 

           

MANILA, Philippines — The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) has assigned the three cases of Sen. Leila De Lima to its three branches.

De Lima’s cases, filed by the Department of Justice in connection with the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison, were separately raffled to Branches 204, 205 and 206 at around 1 p.m. This is to determine the probable cause or a possible consolidation of the cases since there are similar respondents.

Muntinlupa RTC Vice Executive Judge Antonietta Medina led the raffling of cases. Criminal Cases No. 165, 166 and 167 were raffled to Judges Juanita Guerrero, Amelia Fabros-Corpuz and Patricia Manalastas-De Leon, respectively.

The three judges will also determine the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the senator within the day or the coming days. If arrest would be granted, De Lima may face detention without bail.

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However, Branch 204 handled by Guerrero, could not issue an arrest warrant on Monday since the judge was on leave since Friday. She is expected to report to work by Tuesday.

To counter the drug cases raffled, De Lima’s camp filed a motion to quash before Branch 206 over the lack of jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals has denied the senator’s temporary restraining order on the same arguments.

For De Lima, the cases filed by the Justice department were “procedurally wrong based on existing laws and jurisprudence.” She said if the merits were true, it should have been filed before the Ombudsman and not on a regional trial court.

“Sinadya nila mapunta ‘yan sa court para makakuha agad ng arrest warrant. It’s quite a stretch na non-bailable,” De Lima said in a televised ambush interview.

The senator also clarified that her counter motions including the motion to quash and omnibus motion were meant to be filed after her cases were raffled to a particular branch and were readied by her legal counsel pre-hand. She denied anew that the allegations filed against her were true.

The motion to quash was described to ask the court to render a previous ruling of that court or lower judicial body null or invalid. On the other hand, reference.com defines omnibus motion as “an application by a defendant asking the court to examine a case from certain legal aspects.”

De Lima and seven other respondents were accused of violating Section 5 in relation to Section 26 (B) and Section 28 (criminal liability of government officials and employees) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

NATION | Davao Death Squad 'leader' resurfaces, retracts denials

Retiring police officer Arthur Lascañas, who was frequently mentioned by another witness Edgar Matobato allegedly as having an extensive knowledge of the extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown of Davao city, holds some documents during a Senate inquiry in October 2016. Lascañas resurfaced on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017 and admitted involvement in the Davao Death Squad. AP/File

           

MANILA, Philippines — The Free Legal Assistance Group on Monday presented the team leader of the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) and linked President Rodrigo Duterte in drug-related killings.

Retiring SPO3 Arthur Lascañas, who is supposed to be in the inner circle of the death squad, claimed that they implemented the orders of Duterte when he was Davao City mayor.

"Totoo po ang existence Davao Death Squad," Lascañas said at a televised press conference in the Senate compound in Pasay City.

The self-proclaimed DDS pioneer that the group was first composed to target alleged drug lord Allan Tancho.

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Lascañas named police officers who were the first members of the DDS. The group also commissioned the services of so-called rebel returnees from the New People's Army.

After supposedly killing their first target, the group left a note saying, "'Wag pamarisan. Davao Death Squad" as a threat for other drug offenders.

"Ito po ang umpisa. Binabayaran kami ni Mayor Rodry Duterte. Kadalasan P20,000, minsan P50,000 at depende sa status ng target. Minsan P100,000," Lascañas said.

Lascañas also claimed that he received a monthly allowance of P100,000 from the Office of the Mayor.

Alleged crimes

The retired police officer also said that he was involved in the bombing of the Camamara mosque. He said that Duterte ordered the bombing of mosques in retalitation for the bombing of the Davao Cathedral in 1993.

He also claimed involvement in the killing of broadcaster Jun Pala. He said that Duterte hired him to kill the broadcaster through SPO4 Sonny Buenaventura.

"Sabi ni Sonny galit na galit si Mayor Rody kay Jun Pala dahil sa araw-araw sa atake sa radio. Tinanggap ko po ang kontrata," Lascañas said, adding that the contract was worth P3 million.
Lascañas said that he decided to make a public confession due to his conscience and to signal the end of his "blind obedience and loyalty" to Duterte.

"Mamatay man ako o ipapatay man ako, kuntento na ako na nagawa ko ang promise ko sa Diyos magsagawa ng isang public confession," Lascañas said.

During the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearings last October 2016, Lascañas denied the existence of the DDS and said that it was only a "media hype." - with Patricia Lourdes Viray/PHILSTAR