Dela Rosa urged to attend House probe into drug war

Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa (Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa should attend the House of Representatives quad-committee’s hearing on the drug war instead of saying things to the media, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said on Monday.

In an online interview, Abante said it appears Dela Rosa has a lot to say about the alleged human rights violations during the drug war of the Duterte administration, but he did not accept invitations from the House committee on human rights and the quad-panel.

READ: Duterte, dela Rosa invited to House hearings on Pogos, drug trade links

“Senator Bato is always welcome to express his thoughts in our hearings. Even before the quad-committee was formed, the committee on human rights extended an invitation to the good senator so he could be able to air his side, and he has yet to accept any of the invitations extended to him. Although it appears that he has a lot of thoughts on the matter,” said Abante, head of the human rights panel.

“If he wants to say anything, he should not say these things before the media. Speak before the quad-committee so that his answers would be clear. We’re giving him the opportunity, due process for him to air his side, and for us to be able to know his feelings about this,” he added.

Abante urged Dela Rosa to attend the House inquiry after Dela Rosa said that several lawmakers were “unprincipled and opportunistic” because they aligned themselves with former President Rodrigo Duterte when he was still in office, only to call out the drug war after his term ended.

Dela Rosa was Duterte’s first Philippine National Police (PNP) chief. He was in-charge of implementing the drug war, which was more known as Oplan Tokhang.

READ: Dela Rosa calls former allies ‘opportunistic’ for drug war stance shift

His statements did not also sit well with Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop.

Acop said it was Dela Rosa who acted like an opportunist and a lapdog of Duterte.

He also said Dela Rosa used his connections with Duterte to facilitate his ascension to being PNP chief, and later on, as senator.

READ: Dela Rosa the real opportunist – Acop

Dela Rosa clarified that he was not alluding to Acop as he had the utmost respect for the Antipolo lawmaker who is also a former PNP general.

He said that he only opposes the hearings done by Abante’s panel, which listened to the testimonies of drug war victims’ relatives.

According to Dela Rosa, hearing the extrajudicial killing (EJK) issue repeatedly seems like a “fishing expedition.”

“I am not referring to the entire quad comm. I am only referring to only that one committee conducting a repeated investigation [into] EJK. I am respecting all others because it’s their job — in the same breath that I am also expecting them to respect my job here in the Senate,” he explained.

The quad-committee started its hearings last Friday in Bacolor, Pampanga.

During the inquiry, former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban said former Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda sent emissaries in 2018 to warn him that he would die if he named Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, lawyer Manases Carpio, and former President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic adviser Michael Yang as individuals involved in the illegal drugs shipment in 2018.

Guban was referring to the one ton of shabu worth P6.8 billion, concealed in a magnetic lifter, which eluded authorities in 2018. The House and the Senate investigated the matter and Guban attended the hearings where he was cited for contempt.

READ: 1 ton of shabu worth P6.8B eludes PDEA, PNP

Guban also said that a certain Paul Gutierrez, supposedly part of Antiporda’s staff, relayed the death threat and even said that his child could be kidnapped if he mentioned Rep. Duterte, Carpio, and Yang.

READ: ‘Don’t name Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio, Yang in 2018 shabu import mess’

Rep. Duterte, Antiporda, and Gutierrez — who currently heads the residential Task Force on Media Security — have denied Guban’s accusations.

Rep. Duterte said he has never met Guban, adding that the ex-BOC official cannot be treated as a star witness as he is not credible, having been cited for contempt for lying at the Senate blue ribbon committee.

READ: Rep. Duterte denies knowing Guban, calls him not credible as witness