Self-confessed DDS hitman and one of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s most trusted men, Arturo Lascañas, has recently made bombshell revelations and accusations, shedding light on the ICC case against the Dutertes and their close political allies.

In his now-viral interview with journalist Christian Esguerra, Lascañas, who couldn’t disclose his location, indicated that Duterte already knows where he’s hiding, as he feels “his hands,” expressing concern about his safety and security.

The ICC’s (International Criminal Court) star witness against the former president of the Philippines disclosed that he had been granted limited immunity regarding his testimonies against the Dutertes, potentially exposing him to perjury charges.

This development is unparalleled in Philippine history. Notably, both the Philippines and Myanmar are under investigation by the ICC, distinguishing them as subjects of the current probe among Southeast Asian nations.

On September 15, 2021, the pre-trial chamber of the ICC made an announcement authorizing the commencement of an investigation into the bloody drug war and killings in Davao City allegedly perpetrated by the DDS (Davao Death Squad) during Duterte’s tenure as mayor and vice mayor from 2011 to 2016.

The provision of limited immunity constitutes a component of the agreement between the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the ICC and Lascañas. As outlined in the document, the OTP has affirmed that Lascañas’ admission of involvement in killings and cover-ups orchestrated by Duterte directly or through his associates will not be utilized as evidence against him.

During the interview, Lascañas disclosed that he submitted a 200-plus page handwritten supplemental communication to the ICC with the consent of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, separate from his earlier 186-page affidavit. In it, he implicated former Davao mayor and now Vice President Sara Duterte as the ‘Mother of Tokhang’.

Lascañas intimated that regarding pre-trial interviews and investigations, the ICC has completed its process with his testimonies and the case against Duterte. He mentioned that the ICC possesses his depositions, which will stand in case of his assassination or any harm befalling him.

“Dito talaga, nakita kong may hustisiya,” referring to the ICC, as he lamented that he truly believed he would achieve justice from the ICC while conceding that the Dutertes remain powerful and have influence within the country’s powerful chambers, including the judiciary.

Here’s a list of 10 bombshell revelations by Lascañas from his interview with Esguerra:

1. ICC warrant of arrest against Duterte and his allies is certain.

“Sure na ang warrant of arrest ni Digong Duterte. Mamatay man ako o hanggang buhay pa ako, hintayin ko talaga na ma-release ang warrant,” Lascañas said, disclosing that his appointed counsel Atty. Pedro Ferreira is aware of this.

“Nakasiguro na kami ni Atty. Ferreira na lalabas at lalabas ang warrant of arrest ni Rodrigo Duterte. Hindi ko lang alam kung kelan, mga after two to three years. I don’t know…”

2. Duterte used public money to finance extra-judicial killings.

Lascañas recounted that he was one of the founding members of DDS when Duterte became mayor in 1988. Lascañas said that when Duterte was appointed vice mayor of Davao, he was one of those hand-picked to be Duterte’s bodyguard as a policeman.

The group started as the Heinous Crimes Taskforce with 8 members, and they were ordered by then Mayor Duterte to “conduct extra-judicial killings” of suspected illegal drug users and pushers. It was Duterte who financed their operations with public money.

“Dito talagang napasubo ang buong buhay ko. Pumatay nang pumatay kami ng maraming tao, at tumanggap at tumanggap kami ng maraming pera galing mismo, personal, kay Mayor Rudy Duterte,” Lascañas recounted.

3. Senator Bong Go was just at the beck and call of Lascañas.

Lascañas said that when he was the team leader of the Heinous Crimes Taskforce, which then became DDS, Go was just his errand boy when he wanted to eat ‘Maruya’, a local dessert made by deep frying battered banana or plantain in hot oil.

“Yan si Bong Go ay tagabili ko lang noon ng maruya,” Lascañas said.

4. DDS also included a “kidnap for ransom program”.

Duterte’s anti-drug DDS didn’t just kill junkies and pushers, but also engaged in kidnap for ransom.

“Noong mag-start na yong kidnap for ransom program ng war on drugs ni mayor Rodrigo Duterte sa Davao City, hawala na ang bilib ko dito,” he said, adding that they were ordered to kidnap suspected drug users and peddlers to multiply their funds for operations.

5. Lascañas named names: some of the victims of kidnap for ransom who were then killed were wealthy individuals in Davao.

Lascañas admitted that he was one of those who kidnapped a certain Allan Yap whose family paid kidnappers who, according to Lascañas, were cops, P5 million.

Yap’s remains were buried in a land quarry mass grave. Lascañas also revealed that Yap’s 45 caliber is in the possession of alleged DDS member SPO4 Bienvenido Laud.

Other victims of kidnapping who were then killed include some people named Danny Ong, Philip Lam, who was a close Duterte ally Michael Yang’s business rival.

6. Duterte is the Lord of all drug lords.

Basically, Lascañas alleged that Duterte’s drug war was merely intended to root out the competition because Duterte’s cronies who, according to him, were big-time drug lords, were all spared.

“Si mayor Duterte ay hindi ito totoo na nagkampanya laban sa illegal na druga sa Davao City kung hindi ito ang pinaka-lord of all drug lords…” he said.

Big Duterte cronies like Michael Yang, Charlie Tan, Sammy Uy, who were allegedly into drugs, were untouched, while their competitors like Lam and Joey Co were kidnapped and missing.

These alleged drug lords, namely, Yang, Tan, and Uy, were Duterte’s biggest campaign donors when Duterte ran for president in 2016.

These individuals, according to Lascañas, started out as “so-called investors” in Davao from China. For instance, Yang’s canned fish factory in Davao was busted as a shabu laboratory.

7. The dreaded and almost mythical group DDS killed “more or less” 10,000 people, including drug suspects, collateral damage, and even innocent individuals in Davao City alone.

The dead bodies, Lascañas revealed, were buried in at least three land quarry mass graves.

In Laud quarry alone, Lascañas said, at least 3,000 dead bodies were buried. The other two mass graves were referred to as Mandug with 100 buried bodies, which include the dead body of a communist guerrilla commander who was a threat to Duterte, and Ma-a owned by a cop.

One of the prominent personalities buried in the third mass grave where around 50 bodies were buried was an MNLF commander who was a friend of Duterte. “Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya ito pina-abduct sa amin,” Lascañas said.

8. Lascañas admitted to personally killing over 200.

“Galante kasi si mayor sa pera lalo pa nung nag-allow siya sa kidnap for random program,” indicating that money played a role in him and others joining and staying with the DDS.

The money from the kidnap for ransom was split among DDS members, claimed Lascañas.

9. Daily killings.

“Marami kaming pera araw-araw, pero araw-araw din ang patay,” Lascañas recounted, saying they were pampered more when they were secretly separated to carry out Duterte’s order as a member of an anti-crime task force.

He, along with SPO4 Sonny Buenaventura, delivered “bribed money” to police station commanders disguised as “allowance.”

10. Duterte accidentally killed a prostitute.

Lascañas, along with Buenaventura, also admitted to delivering women to Duterte.

“In fact, meron pang, hindi ko alam kung GRO (guest relations officer) ba yon or what, napatay ni mayor Rodrigo Duterte, aksidente ito. Si Bong Go ang may alam,” he said.

He also revealed that Duterte has a number of safe houses in Davao where they would deliver several women in a week.

11. Duterte ordered the massacre of an entire family.

“Yong entire Patasaha family, pinaubos niya,” Lascañas referring to Duterte. Each policeman who managed to kill one individual would get a reward of P20,000 to P25,000, the former policeman said.

The Patasaha family, which included a pregnant woman he only identified as “Mrs. Patasaha”, were all buried in Laud quarry.

Lascañas claims to have personal knowledge, contrary to his critics like former Senator Panfilo Lacson, as he was the one who abducted the Patasaha family and others.

12. Sara Duterte as the “Mother of Tokhang.”

Lascañas clarified that he implicated Sara Duterte in February 2020 in his handwritten supplemental testimony to the ICC, contrary to Sara’s claim that the inclusion of her name is politically motivated.

Lascañas also named Senator Bato Dela Rosa who was Duterte’s PNP chief as the “father of Tokhang” and the one who invented the term “tokhang” which means “toktok” (knock-knock) and “hangyo” (to plead).

13. Rodrigo Duterte is fearful and ignorant of the law.

“Ang pagkakakilala ko kay Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ay isa siyang matatakutin at walang alam sa batas,” said Lascañas, adding the former mayor only knew how to order the killing of people.

Lascañas also insinuated that Duterte might be planning something sinister against President Bongbong Marcos Jr.

“Siguradong may plano yang si mayor. Iba ito pagka siya na magiging kalaban mo. Talagang gagawa ito ng katrayduran talaga. Hindi ito lalabas nang parehas,” said Lascañas.

14. Duterte’s plot to liquidate former Senator Leila de Lima.

The initial plan was to ambush de Lima when she was still a Human Rights commissioner. The plot was foiled due to de Lima’s strong security detail.