BI to probe Matobato’s departure

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to conduct an investigation into reports that self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) hitman Edgar Matobato left the country during the second quarter of 2024.

“We will be conducting an investigation into the information stated in the article,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a brief message sent to reporters.

Sandoval was reacting to a news report published in The STAR, wherein former senator Leila de Lima revealed that Matobato left the country during the second quarter of last year because the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor was trying to gain access to him in connection with its ongoing investigation on the drug war during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Matobato is now reportedly in the protective custody of the ICC.

De Lima said he is in an undisclosed location.

In an article published by The New York Times over the weekend, it was mentioned that Matobato, his wife and two stepchildren managed to leave the Philippines using fake identities and travel documents.

“Mr. Matobato had managed to obtain a new identity with a new passport and a new job description: gardener,” Bangkok-based Times reporter Hannah Beech wrote.