Duterte invited to House quad panel hearing on drug war

Rodrigo Duterte —MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been invited anew to the House of Representatives quad committee’s October 22 hearing on his administration’s war on drugs.

He was invited to “provide valuable insights” related to the ongoing probe, based on a document signed by quad comm chair and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Ace Barbers dated October 18.

READ: Garma says Davao drug war template, rewards system applied in entire PH

“[T]he Joint Committee respectfully invites you to attend the said inquiry to provide valuable insights and shed light on the issues under discussion, particularly on extra-judicial killings,” read the invitation, which was released to the media on Sunday.

During the panel’s recent hearing, retired police colonel Royina Garma alleged that Duterte and other high-ranking officials during his administration sanctioned covert operations replicating the Davao City model of extrajudicial killings on a national scale.

In a news segment on Sonshine Media Network International, Duterte said he would be “happy to appear in both the upper and the lower houses of Congress.”

“And because there are many persons already called or about to be called, baka may ibang tao pa mag-ano (other people might be)… It’s all about me, edi ako na lang (then it’s better if it’s just me). Bakit pa yung ibang tao? Ako na mismo ang tawagin nila (Why are they including other people, just call me),” Duterte said last October 18.

According to reports, the war on drugs left at least 6,000 people dead; however, human rights groups and advocates claim that the number may have reached 20,000.

Duterte and his former police chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa were among the personalities mentioned in the crimes against humanity complaint pending before the International Criminal Court.