Sara denies involvement in Tokhang, death squad

MANILA, Philippines — Accused of involvement in extrajudicial killings by a former police officer, Vice President Sara Duterte has dared her accuser to sue her as she denied the allegation, which she branded as part of a “script” prepared by her political enemies.

“According to this self-proclaimed witness, I was involved in the Oplan Tokhang of the Davao Death Squad and the several incidents of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in Davao. This script is new,” Duterte said, referring to police officer Arturo Lascañas, in a video statement posted on her Facebook account yesterday.

“In those years that I served as vice mayor and mayor of Davao City, my name was never linked to such issue,” she pointed out.

On Wednesday, in a remote video interview with the media from an undisclosed location, Lascañas accused the Vice President and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, of masterminding the execution of around 10,000 people in Davao City.

Lascañas said Sara Duterte was the one who came up with the idea of “Oplan Tokhang” when she was Davao City mayor in 2012.

He said Duterte had instructed then Davao City police chief, now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, to kidnap and bury drug suspects, so these would be reported as cases of missing persons instead of killings.

Lascañas also claimed the former president was running shabu laboratories in Davao City. Rodrigo Duterte had earlier denied the allegations.

The Vice President questioned the timing of Lascañas’ interview, saying it could be a desperate attempt to link her to EJKs and her father’s war on drugs amid the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“All of a sudden, there is a witness against me following my election as Vice President. And now I am already one of the accused before the International Criminal Court,” Duterte said.

“Aside from the timing, it is clear that there is a move to drag my name in this issue, for me to become an accused in the ICC [investigation],” she added.

Duterte, however, maintained her earlier position that the ICC has no right to meddle in the country’s local judicial affairs.

“The insistence of the ICC to meddle with our judiciary is an assault on our sovereignty.