House quad-committee’s 2nd hearing to focus on EJKs, says Barbers

FILE PHOTO: Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The second hearing of the House of Representatives quad-committee will focus on alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said.

At the start of the quad-committee inquiry held at the Batasang Pambansa complex on Thursday, Barbers said the panels would resume discussions “with a sharper focus and renewed determination.”

“Perhaps the main concern is not only about corruption and collusion of government officials but also the alarming reports of extrajudicial killings. We must never accept that justice can be served through unlawful means. Human rights violations committed under the guise of fighting crime cannot be condoned, for they corrode the very foundation of our democracy and our respect for human dignity,” Barbers, who presides over the quad-committee hearings, said in his opening speech.

“Today the committee on human rights is in the spotlight as it makes its presentation on this side of the inquiry. Chairman Benny Abante will present yet another case of extra-judicial killings never before heard, with the subject treated as taboo in the past years,” he added.

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

Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, who heads the House committee on human rights, said that data presented to them regarding anomalous drug-related deaths are overwhelming and necessitates an investigation because it appears the government allowed – or in some cases, encouraged – these killings.

“We have been presented with data that is both staggering and heartbreaking. The sheer number of drug-related killings, whether conducted by state forces or unidentified assailants, demands not just our attention, but more importantly, action,” Abante said.

“For these deaths are not just statistics; they represent lives cut short, families irreparably shattered, and communities left in fear.  In our Committee, the testimonies we have heard thus far reveal a distressing pattern—of a state that, at times, has failed to protect its citizens and, in some cases, may have even abetted the violations of their rights,” he added.

Last August 7, after the quad-committee was formed to probe into a possible interconnection between illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hubs, the illicit drug trade, and alleged EJKs in the Duterte administration’s “drug war”, Abante was asked by reporters why his panel was included.

In response, Abante said they got information that money from Pogos was allegedly used to reward police officers who killed drug suspects — which he believes is enough reason for the human rights panel to be included in the quad-committee.

It has been almost a week since the quad-committee started its hearings at Bacolor, Pampanga.  Several issues were discussed, including allegations made by former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban.

According to Guban, who has been convicted for drug importation, former environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda sent emissaries in 2018 to warn him that he would die if he named Davao City 1st District Rep. Duterte, lawyer Manases Carpio, and former economic adviser Michael Yang as individuals involved in the illegal drug shipment last 2018.

The former BOC official was referring to the 1-ton “shabu“ — a slang for crystal meth — worth P6.8 billion that were discovered concealed in magnetic lifters, which eluded authorities in 2018.  The House and Senate investigated the matter and Guban appeared in the hearings – where he was cited for contempt.

Rep. Duterte and Antiporda have separately denied Guban’s accusations. According to Rep. Duterte, 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.