THE Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Friday released from its custody Edgar Matobato, a confessed hitman and witness in the Senate’s investigation on extrajudicial killings.
According to the PNP-CIDG, Matobato through his lawyer, posted a P30,000 bail for the case of illegal possession of firearms before Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 97 Executive Judge Bernelito Fernandez.
Matobato was released at 3:22 p.m. and fetched by his lawyer, log book of the PNP Custodial Center showed. Matobato remains in the protective custody of Senator Antonio “Sony” Trillanes IV.
“Edgar Matobato was able to post bail at the QC regional trial court this morning through his counsel,” Trillanes’ office said in a text message sent to media.
Last Oct. 7, Trillanes personally surrendered Matobato to the PNP’s Camp Crame headquarters following a warrant of arrest issued for his failure to attend his arraignment in the complaint for illegal possession of firearms filed in 2014.
Matobato’s lawyer filed a motion explaining to the court that he was unable to fly to Davao because he was scheduled to appear in the Senate hearing on Oct. 4 although it was eventually canceled.
The senator previously said that even without a copy of the warrant of arrest, he was willing to send Matobato to PNP to avoid “untoward incidents.”
Matobato claimed that then mayor now President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the killings of criminals and non-criminals in Davao City such as suspected terrorist Sali Makdum, a certain Richard King who was a rival of incumbent Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte over a woman; radio reporter and critic of Duterte, Jun Pala, among others.
He first testified during the third Senate inquiry into extrajudicial killings on Sept. 15.