SELF-CONFESSED killer Edgar Matobato will petition the Office of the Ombudsman to include President Rodrigo R. Duterte in the cases he filed against the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS), his legal counsel said. Lawyer Jude Josue Sabio said they will “challenge the Ombudsman (for its) failure to include (Mr.) Duterte in the cases” after the agency did not include the president in the charges as he is immune from prosecution due to his position. Mr. Sabio argued that the inclusion of the president is possible because he allegedly committed the crimes not as president but as mayor of Davao City. On Dec. 9 last year, Mr. Matobato filed before the Ombudsman two cases against the group, including Mr. Duterte, for the kidnapping and murder of soldier Gaudencio Bersabal and the murder of broadcaster Juan Pala. The Office of the Ombudsman, however, excluded the president when it required those named in the cases to submit their counter-affidavits. Mr. Matobato claims that it was in 1998 when Mr. Duterte, then mayor of the city, formed a group of killers whose targets were criminals. The so-called DDS, he said, killed about 1,000 individuals between 1998 and 2013. The cases stemmed from the testimony of Mr. Matobato before the Senate. However, the Senate has dismissed his claims after he failed to substantiate his allegations and made contradicting statements. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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