VP Sara calls latest accusations against her ‘scripted’

he Vice President said it seems that her name was intentionally dragged into the accusation for her to be included in the list. (File Photo: Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)

MANILA – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte on Thursday said the latest accusations linking her to the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) and extrajudicial killings in Davao City are “scripted.”

Retired police officer Arturo Lascañas, a confessed member of the alleged DDS, claimed the Vice President and her father, former president Rodrigo R. Duterte, were masterminds of the killings and she was the one who came up with “Oplan Tokhang” which was the anti-drug campaign of the Philippine National Police in the previous administration.

“Bago ang script na ito (This script is new),” Duterte said in a video noting that she was never linked to the alleged DDS even when she was still serving as mayor of Davao City.

“Bigla na lang nagkaroon ng testigo laban sa akin nang mahalal ako na Vice President. At kabilang na nga ako ngayon sa mga akusado sa (A witness suddenly appeared when I was elected as Vice President and now, I am included in the list of the accused before the) International Criminal Court [ICC],” she added.

Lascañas said he already submitted his testimonies against the Dutertes before the ICC.

The Vice President said it seems that her name was intentionally dragged into the accusation for her to be included in the list.

With this, Duterte challenged Lascañas and the people behind him to file a murder case against her before a Philippine court.

She also reiterated that the ICC’s continuous interference in the Philippine justice system is an insult to Filipinos.

In 2017, Lascañas also testified against former president Duterte in the Senate insisting that DDS and the killings in Davao City are true.

This was months after he denied, under oath, that the alleged group existed and that he was part of it.