1,000 officials on Duterte's 3rd 'narco-list'

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday did not publicly comment on allegations against him by a self-confessed member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) at a Senate inquiry on Thursday.

Duterte was in Bulacan to visit members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Tecson where he spoke for around 20 minutes.

Witness Edgar Matobato told a Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee hearing that he was recruited to join a hit squad initially called the "Lambada Boys" alongside five others in 1988, when Duterte started his first term as city mayor.

Under questioning by Sen. Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte's bloody war on drugs, Matobato said he killed around 50 people from 1988 to 2013.

Matobato also claimed Duterte ordered his team to kill De Lima when she visited Davao in 2009, but that it was aborted.

Malacanang has denied Matobato's allegations.

Instead of addressing the allegations, Duterte once again talked about his war on drugs, revealing that there are around 1,000 local government officials and even judges included in his third list of people involved in the illegal drug trade.

He also said he would soon release his third "narco-list," which includes mostly local government officials and policemen.

"There are 1,000 barangay captains and police and mayors and governors, and a few judges. Andyan na lahat, galing 'yan sa raw, tapos pinahasa ko sa intelligence," he said.

Duterte has released two lists of names of public servants and politicians involved in illegal drugs.

According to Duterte, the involvement of barangay officials in illegal drugs is one of the reasons why he pushed to postpone the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

"Kaya ako hindi pumayag na may eleksyon ngayon (sa barangay). 'Yung sa Congress, walang pera. Good, walang pera, pero sa akin, 'pag mag-eleksyon tayo ngayon, magho-hold lang ito, gagastos ito para manalo. Mag-die down lang ito," he said.

Duterte also mentioned the recent arrest of relatives of former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala in Quezon province, adding that he had previous knowledge of the family's involvement in illegal drugs but ordered his men to investigate further.

"'Yung kay Alcala, I do not want to offend anybody kung may relative dito. Alam namin noon 'yun. Sinabi ko sa kanila, ipitin muna ninyo. Prepare for an apprehension na parang walang lusot," he said.

"Kasi ang Quezon, 'yung mga taga-Quezon, alam ninyo 'yan. 'Wag na tayo magbolahan. Alam ninyo na talamak talaga sa Quezon," Duterte added.

Alcala's sister-in-law and niece were arrested in a drug buy-bust operation in Tayabas City, Sunday, merely a month after his brother and nephew surrendered to authorities to deny their alleged links to illegal drugs.

READ: Self-confessed death squad member tags Duterte in killings