Matobato wants trial moved to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Fearing for his life, self-confessed Davao death squad (DDS) hit man Edgar Matobato wants his trial to be in Manila, not in Davao.

In a 16-page petition filed yesterday, Matobato, through his counsel Jude Josue Sabio, asked the Supreme Court to transfer the hearing of the case filed against him to a court in Manila.

The charge is violation of Republic Act 10591, or carrying a firearm outside of residence without a permit. It is now pending before Branch 3 of the Davao City Municipal Trial Court.

Sabio requested that the petition be forwarded to the high tribunal’s Office of the Court Administrator for study and for its recommendation.

He also asked that the arraignment scheduled on Nov. 3 be cancelled.

The 57-year-old Matobato testified before the Senate’s committee on justice and human rights last month, tagging President Duterte as the mastermind behind the DDS, a group allegedly comprised of policemen from the Davao City Police and hired assassins tasked by Duterte to kill criminals in Davao as a crime control strategy.

“In Matobato’s case, the fact that President Duterte is the prime target of his exposé makes the scenario even more terrifying,” Sabio said. “This is not to mention the fact that Matobato’s former comrades are policemen based in Davao City, who are capable of mounting an attack on him in a covert manner.”

“After all, Matobato’s former comrades are still entrenched in Davao City with the backing of their leader, the most powerful man in the country, President Duterte aka Charlie Mike,” Sabio said.

Before being elected president, Duterte led Davao as city mayor for 21 years. His daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio succeeded him, while his eldest son Paolo is the vice mayor.

“Under this unfavorable political atmosphere in the domestic front, Matobato has no other recourse but to seek protection from the honorable Supreme Court as a bulwark of democracy, truth and justice,” the legal counsel said.

“If he were able to kill thousands of ‘criminals’ in Davao when he was just mayor, it is with more reason that he could do so now when as President he has far more immense resources and manpower at his personal disposal,” the petition said.

The petition also mentioned that Duterte had allegedly asked Matobato to drop his name and his son Paolo’s name from his judicial affidavit.