In an interview with "Storycon" on One News, De Lima said Matobato left the Philippines in the second quarter of 2024 because the ICC prosecutor was trying to access him for its ongoing investigation on the Duterte administration's drug war and killings by the DDS.
“Initially, the ICC was not trying to access him. Eventually they did. That’s why he had to leave, in order to make it easier for the ICC to access him,” she said in Filipino.
Like another self-confessed DDS member, hitman Arturo Lascañas, De Lima said Matobato is “under the protective custody now of the ICC in an undisclosed location.”
The New York Times over the weekend published an article detailing how Matobato, his wife and two stepchildren were able to leave the Philippines using fake identities and travel documents.
The report did not disclose or specify when they left the country.
“Mr. Matobato had managed to obtain a new identity with a new passport and a new job description: gardener,” wrote Bangkok-based Times reporter Hannah Beech.
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Comelec holds mock polls in 30 barangays
To better prepare for the May 12 elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold mock polls today in 30 barangays across the country.
Trade gap widens to $54.2 B in 2024
As imports pick up while exports continue to drop
The right information
In the Information Age, children can access a mountain of materials about sex online.
Pinoy power at Southeast Asia's biggest art fair
Filipino artists flexed their star-power in Singapore over the weekend at Art SG 2025, the biggest art fair in Southeast Asia.
Bangkok air pollution forces 352 schools to close
Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday, city authorities said, the highest number in five years.
Comelec may compel bets to attend debates
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing a resolution that will require candidates to attend debates in order to help voters make informed choices in the May 12 polls.
NEDA: Economy in good shape despite missing targets
Even if the Philippines is likely to miss its growth targets for 2024, it still remains on track in reducing poverty and taming inflation while its economy continues to fare better than its neighbors in Asia, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said yesterday.
Bersamin: BBM not blocking impeach move vs Sara
President Marcos is not interfering with the constitutional mandate of Congress, but was simply expressing his personal stance in discouraging lawmakers from impeaching his ally-turned-arch foe Vice President Sara Duterte, according to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
Judge issues TRO on Trump's birthright citizenship order
A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order denying US citizenship to the children of parents living in the country illegally, calling it \"blatantly unconstitutional.\"
Ang-See calls for fair probe on ‘Chinese spy’
Teresita Ang See, a prominent figure in Filipino-Chinese community relations, has issued a statement addressing the arrest of Deng Yuanqing, a Chinese national accused of espionage.
