Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and friend Charlie Tan. Screengrab from Paolo Duterte's Instagram account

DAVAO CITY - (UPDATED) Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte has spoken up on the recent allegations of self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) member and retired policeman SPO3 Arthur Lascañas.

Lascañas, in a Senate hearing on Monday, said Paolo initially suspected that Charlie Tan planted illegal drugs in a container van that had his belongings and ordered the now-retired cop to tail the van.

Paolo later on intervened in the entrapment operation against Tan, according to Lascañas. He said, although he never knew if drugs were found in the van, he was disappointed that Paolo intervened in the operation to entrap Tan.

Lascañas also alleged that the group killed a man who once hit Paolo with a helmet on the head during a road altercation.

The younger Duterte initially refused to comment regarding the latest testimony of Lascañas, except to say he would rather wait for the statement of his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, who was also implicated by Lascañas in the alleged DDS.

Instead, the vice mayor posted a photo of him and friend Tan in his Instagram account.

Tan refused to give a comment regarding the allegations.

Duterte later used his Facebook account to post his statement.