Carmela S. Fonbuena
PCIJ Executive Director
“It’s a wonder Edgar Matobato is still alive,” begins PCIJ’s new report on the self-confessed former member of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Davao Death Squad
Written by PCIJ’s founding executive director, Sheila S. Coronel, this in-depth investigative narrative documents Matobato’s journey from assassin to whistleblower.
Ms. Coronel met Matobato through Father Albert Alejo, a Jesuit priest and an old friend, three months after he went public about the killings during a Senate hearing in 2016, where he exposed the inner workings of the DDS and revealed state complicity in the killings.
On the run for more than a decade, Matobato recently fled the country and has assumed a new identity.
The families of victims and the human rights community hope that he can testify at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where Duterte may one day stand trial for crimes against humanity.
We invite you to read our report and hope you can share it on your newspapers, websites, and social media pages. Click the link to access the files.
We are also sharing a new report on transport services, continuing PCIJ’s commitment to scrutinizing technology platforms in the country.
PCIJ’s Guinevere Latoza documented how Grab, JoyRide, and GET Express are making their drivers absorb legally mandated discounts for PWDs, senior citizens, and students.
One transport service passed on up to 80% of these discounts to the drivers.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) vowed to issue a memo to direct the transport network companies and operators to shoulder the discount. LTFRB said it is also inclined to suspend erring companies and have them refund costs to drivers.
We invite you to follow PCIJ’s social media accounts to stay updated on our latest reports.
Maraming salamat po.