Solons: Time for ex-pres Duterte, Go, dela Rosa to attend House probe

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives hold the third hearing of the quad-committee on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. The four panels — the committee on dangerous drugs, committee on public order and safety, committee on human rights, committee on public accounts — were tasked to probe the possible correlation between illegal activities in Pogos, the illicit drug trade, and possible human rights violations in the drug war. (Photo from the House of Representatives media bureau)

MANILA, Philippines —Two chairmen of the House Quad Committee said it is time for ex-president Rodrigo Duterte and Senators Christopher Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa to attend the joint panel’s investigation on Philippine offshore gaming operators, illegal drug syndicates, and extrajudicial killings.

“It has come to public attention that serious allegations have been made against former President Rodrigo Duterte and Sens. Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa in the Quad Comm probe, and given the gravity of these accusations, we hope they attend the hearings to address these claims directly,” said Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, as quoted in a statement on Sunday.

READ: No order, no dictation: Fernandez asserts quad panel’s autonomy in hearings 

He is also the chairman of the House Committee on public order and safety.

During the Quad Committee hearing on August 22, persons deprived of liberty Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro testified that the former president was purportedly involved in the killings of three Chinese drug lords.

Police Colonel Jovie Espenido also alleged that there was a reward system in place for these killings during the previous administration’s war against illegal drugs.

“Espenido, a key figure in the drug war, has implicated Sen. Bong Go in this scheme, claiming that funds were funneled downwards from his level. Similarly, Sen. Bato, who led the Philippine National Police during the early years of the drug war, has been accused of instructing police officers to neutralize drug suspects, which has been interpreted as an order to kill,” Fernandez said.

Meanwhile, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, chairman of the House Committee on human rights, said that Duterte, Go, and Dela Rosa should take the hearing as an opportunity to speak.

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

“The testimonies heard so far have led to disturbing revelations, suggesting that the Philippines may have operated as a ‘narco-state’ during Duterte’s presidency, with high-ranking officials involved in the drug trade,” Abante said.

“These claims, if left unchallenged, could undermine public confidence in the integrity of the country’s leadership and its institutions. Therefore, allowing Duterte, Go, and Dela Rosa to address these accusations is critical in maintaining transparency and accountability in governance,” Abante added.