A LOCAL court has ordered the arrest of retired police officer and self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) member Arturo B. Lascañas, who is facing a string of criminal charges ranging from online libel to attempted murder.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10 in Davao City recently issued several alias warrants of arrest against Lascañas, who has been embroiled in multiple cases for years and is believed to be outside the country.
In the latest development provided to Davao media, the court ordered his arrest in connection with a case for online libel under Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Docketed as R-DVO-24-02594-CR, the warrant — dated June 9, 2025 — set bail at P48,000.
The former police officer is also the subject of older alias warrants. These include a murder case (R-DVO-17-02087-CR) with no bail recommended, and two separate attempted murder cases (R-DVO-17-02086-CR and R-DVO-17-02085-CR), each carrying a P120,000 bail. The complainants in these cases include members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Davao City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The court orders direct law enforcement to serve the warrants within 10 days of receipt and submit a return explaining any failure to do so.
Lascañas gained national and international attention in 2017 when he publicly linked then-President Rodrigo Duterte to the DDS, reversing his earlier 2016 Senate testimony denying the group’s existence.
In a SunStar Davao report, the official admitted to participating in extrajudicial killings targeting suspected criminals and drug personalities, allegedly under the orders or with the approval of local officials.
His allegations sparked heated debate with human rights advocates citing his statements as critical evidence of state-sanctioned killings, while Duterte allies dismissed them as fabrications. Senator Panfilo Lacson, who chaired the Senate inquiry, said Lascañas’ testimony had “no probative value” and urged independent investigations by the PNP and the Commission on Human Rights.
Following his Senate testimony, Lascañas left the country, claiming threats to his life, and later spoke before international bodies about his accusations. He has yet to face the charges pending against him in the Davao courts. DEF