1 week Ago By Jairo Bolledo
Whether warranted or not, the name Sanson “Sonny” Buenaventura had long been associated with gruesome killings in Davao City. But it was only recently that the public was able to put a face to the name that had also been linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte’s long-time driver and security, now a retired cop, appeared during the quad committee hearing on Thursday, November 7, to respond to killing allegations against him.
As in the past inquiries, the same body that succeeded in pressing former Duterte-allied cops Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo did not hesitate to ask Buenaventura hard questions about the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) . At first, Buenaventura was cautious about giving responses during the interpellation — his answers were brief. Hours into the hearing, however, the more complete, loaded replies came.
At one point, he even talked over Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mika Suansing, one of the interpellating lawmakers, prompting the mega-panel chairpersons to remind him of proper decorum. While Suansing was trying to pin him down about his hand in the alleged crimes, Buenaventura at times didn’t look at the lawmaker while responding. He also casually played with a paperclip while denying his involvement in the killings.
At one time, he smirked while being interrogated, irking quad committee co-chairperson Joseph Stephen Paduano. When he was pressed to disclose his financial records, Buenaventura candidly said he was willing to show his passbook to the lawmakers: “ Ipakita ko pa sa ’yo (If you want, I’ll even show you).” Buenaventura’s actuations and demeanor were reminiscent of one person – Duterte – whom the former cop had worked for, for decades.
In Gen Z lingo, Buenaventura was “very-Duterte coded.” DUTERTE MAN. Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s former driver and security Sonny Buenaventura appears during the House quad committee on November 7, 2024.
Screenshot/House of Representatives Duterte’s trusted man Buenaventura is a full-blooded Davaoeño, born and raised in the home turf of the Dutertes. In the same city, he achieved his dream to become a police officer and build his own family. His police career also revolved around the city.
He was first assigned to Toril in May 1978, and then to Mintal later on. He was also assigned to the Sasa police station around 1983. From 1988, he served as Duterte’s driver and security, until he retired from the police service in 2008.
After his retirement, he worked in the Davao City local government until 2021. For two decades, as Duterte’s security, he was with him almost 24/7, and of the four assigned to the then-mayor, Buenaventura was the one who drove for him. “For me, [former] mayor Duterte is a kind person,” said Buenaventura, describing the former president whose drug war claimed the lives of around 30,000 people, according to rights groups.
Elaborating why he thought so, Buenaventura said there was a time when the former mayor did not hesitate to offer a family, who was walking and whom they just happened to pass by, a ride home. Duterte, according to Buenaventura, also quietly helped people. The former president had a habit of watching news in the afternoon, he narrated, and if Duterte saw families appealing for help, he would call his aide Bong Go and instruct him to assist the families.
Buenaventura said Duterte also helped finance the operation of his wife who suffered from breast cancer. “He is really a kind person. He was an enemy of criminals,” Buenaventura said.
He rated his loyalty and dedication to Duterte a 10, and said he would not do anything to harm the man he served for two decades. And if he had to give up his life for Duterte, he would do it without thinking twice. RODY AND SONNY.
A photo of former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sonny Buenaventura with local media shown during the quad committee hearing on November 7, 2024. Screenshot/House of Representatives What does he know about DDS and all? Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro enumerated a list of names as if she was reciting a litany. All of those she named were alleged members of the notorious Davao Death Squad.
Buenaventura said he knew most, if not all of them, but denied he knew them as members of the DDS. “I am just Duterte’s driver,” he reiterated. When asked if he knew about the existence of the DDS, he replied in the affirmative, but clarified that he only learned about it from media reports.
Buenaventura also denied knowing about the supposed “Davao template ,” the system that rewarded Davao cops for carrying out Duterte’s kill orders. Buenaventura said he knew Edgar Matobato , a DDS whistleblower, as a member of a civilian force, but denied that Matobato had worked for Duterte. Before self-confessed DDS hitman Arturo Lascañas , Matobato was among the first to expose Duterte’s death squad.
Although he denied a lot of allegations, Buenaventura, however, confirmed that Duterte used the nickname “Superman.” Lascañas said in his affidavit submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) that DDS members referred to Duterte as “Superman” in the context of their killing operations. “It’s only for radio.
It’s his call sign for radio,” Buenaventura said, but added that he didn’t know if DDS members indeed used that name to refer to the former president. Buenaventura was also asked about the Laud quarry, a six-hectare property owned by cop Bienvenido Laud in Barangay Ma-a, Davao City. Duterte’s former security said he’s familiar with the quarry and confirmed that Laud owned it.
He described the quarry as having a firing range in the middle, with some hilly area, and some parts covered by trees. In his affidavit, Lascañas said the quarry was the biggest dumping ground of the DDS. It was a “mass grave” where they buried thousands of their victims.
There were times, according to Lascañas, that they brought living victims to the area and then killed them on site. Buenaventura denied knowing if Laud’s property was used as a mass grave. Must Read Why the Laud quarry, ‘mass grave’ for DDS victims, haunts Lascañas The Garma affidavit For the entirety of the hearing, Buenaventura downplayed his importance in Duterte’s life.
He referred to himself only as the former president’s driver and security — and nothing more. However, testimonies from witnesses and whistleblowers indicated otherwise. After testifying about Duterte’s drug war and reward system, Garma submitted another testimony to the lower chamber which confirmed Duterte’s death squad.
In her latest affidavit seen by Rappler, Garma pointed to Buenaventura as the one who facilitated rewards for cops who killed alleged criminals in Davao City. In one instance, Garma said her team monitored a habitual “akyat-bahay” suspect (burglar) along the coastal area of Davao City. One suspect who was trying to scale the wall of a house was caught by a cop under Garma’s supervision.
The suspect was shot and killed, and according to Garma, Buenaventura gave her P20,000 after the incident. “For the deaths of suspects, Sonny Buenaventura provided direct payments of P20,000 to station commanders, with no signed documentation required,” Garma added. Buenaventura denied he had anything to do with the DDS and the so-called reward system.
During the hearing, he mentioned the allegations against Garma, such as her controversial stint at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and questions on properties, and claimed that the former cop is using him to deflect from issues involving her. “She’s distancing herself from the investigation. All of these are made-up stories so she can distance herself from all the grave issues she faces,” Buenaventura said.
“Colonel Garma should not accuse anybody just to save herself. She has to prove every accusation she makes with evidence, not only through words or accusations.” Play Video Sonny, the ‘B-One’ Garma’s latest affidavit corroborated Lascañas’ revelations about Buenaventura as an alleged DDS cop who not only facilitated Duterte’s kill orders, but also released the rewards to death squad members.
Lascañas vividly narrated Buenaventura’s role in the death squad in his 189-page affidavit, mentioning Duterte’s former driver and security for nearly 300 times. Below are the key points of the whistleblower’s revelations about Buenaventura: Own death squad, kill orders – According to Lascañas, their group referred to Buenaventura as “B-One.” He said Buenaventura had his own death squad team, mentioning this in relation to the killing of journalist Ferdinand Lintuan in 2007.
He said a colleague stopped him from investigating the case “because it was the handiwork of B-ONE (Sonny Buenaventura) and his own death squad, led by Agdao Deputy Mayor Maskarinas.” In addition, Lascañas also said that Buenaventura did not only facilitate rewards, but also gave kill orders himself. Assassination of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV – Lascañas alleged that Duterte had a plan to kill his staunch critic Trillanes.
It was Buenaventura who allegedly relayed the kill order: “The plan was to smash-break into pieces the vehicle of Senator Trillanes using a 20-wheeler container truck.” Buenaventura said the plan would have “unlimited funding.” Lascañas added that former Duterte aide and now Senator Bong Go offered intelligence and a safe house for the plan, while Buenaventura planned to place Lascañas at the Bureau of Customs “while secretly working on the plan.
” Rewards – Lascañas, in many instances, mentioned how Buenaventura facilitated rewards for DDS members. For example, the whistleblower said Buenaventura gave them P20,000 after their operation to burn a suspected drug den in Agdao, Davao City between 1995 and 1996. Lascañas also said that Buenaventura had been designated by Duterte to give DDS members reward money that ranged from P10,000, to as high as P300,000 and P500,000.
Friction with Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa – In the affidavit, Lascañas alleged that there was tension between Buenaventura and Duterte’s first PNP chief, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Lascañas said Duterte asked Buenaventura and Go to select station commanders to organize their own death squads, and in turn, Dela Rosa created his own “TokHang” campaign. “His envy and jealousy to SPO4 Sonny Buenaventura’s closeness to Mayor RRD led him to create his own evil trademark ‘TokHang’ when he became Davao City Police Office Director,” the whistleblower said.
The case of “Mr. Manok” – Some time between 2006 and 2007, the DDS abducted a certain Mr. Manok, Buenaventura’s neighbor in Samal Island, per his order.
Lascañas said the man was texting Buenaventura’s wife, “which was unsavory and scandalous in nature.” Before Buenaventura allegedly killed Mr. Manok by shooting him, he was first beaten up by the DDS.
When Buenaventura saw the cellphone of Manok, “he got so mad that he grabbed the M16 armalite rifle of then PO2 Reynante Medina and struck hard its butt several times to Mr. Manok’s body that caused him to fall slump unconscious inside the Toyota Tamaraw FX van, with blood dripping on his body and face.” When asked about Lascañas’ allegations against him, Buenaventura told lawmakers: “You just don’t know Lascañas.
You just don’t know him.” Buenaventura said he thinks that Lascañas was trying to pin him down because he served as Duterte’s driver and security. As he did to Garma, Buenaventura belittled Lascañas’ allegations, saying he had personal reasons for making the serious accusations against him.
He claimed that Lascañas wanted to get back at him because on multiple occasions, he denied the former cop’s requests — to allegedly enter smuggling, get a van franchise, and enter the small town lottery business. But Duterte wouldn’t have approved. “PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] was not like that,” Buenaventura said, recalling his response to Lascañas’ proposals.
Buenaventura is an important figure in the ongoing investigation into the alleged killings under Duterte. Given that and all that has so far surfaced, more grilling may be in store. – Rappler.
com *Some quotes were translated into English for brevity.
