Ex-President Duterte receives invitation to drug war deaths probe

Former President Rodrigo Duterte (MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte received the invitation of the House quad committee to attend the hearing on his administration’s war on drugs, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.

“What I can confirm is that the invitation for our former president has been received,” PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said, talking in a mix of English and Filipino, in a press briefing.

Based on a document signed by Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Ace Barbers last October 18, Duterte was invited to the hearing on October 22 “to provide valuable insights” on the drug war probe.

According to Fajardo, the committee chaired by Barber directed the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to make sure that the invitation would be received by Duterte himself or his representative.

Fajardo said, however, that she would still have to confirm if Duterte himself had the invitation.

Meanwhile, in a news segment on Sonshine Media Network International on October 18, Duterte said that he would be “happy to appear in both the upper and the lower houses of Congress.”

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa previously said that a drug war investigation would be conducted by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which he chairs.

He also said that he was confident that Duterte would face the probe once they had summoned him.

Previously, Dela Rosa, who was the PNP chief when the Duterte administration’s drug war started, was invited along with Duterte to attend the hearing of the House committee on human rights to answer issues of drug war-related extrajudicial killings.

Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma recently revealed that police officers involved in drug war killings were financially rewarded under the “Davao template” from P20,000 to P1 million.