Duterte, Garma invited to attend Oct. 28 Senate drug war probe

Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte in a dinner with his partymates on August 10, 2024. PHOTO FROM BONG GO FACEBOOK PAGE

MANILA, Philippines – The panel tasked with investigating the Philippines’ war on illegal drugs will convene on Monday, October 28, with former President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the invited resource persons.

Led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the hearing by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee is slated at 10  a.m.

“I was told [Duterte] is willing to attend, so let’s include him,” Pimentel said in Filipino during a phone patch interview on Tuesday, citing his conversation with  Duterte’s former police chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

“So I was the one who said it that if he’s willing to attend, then I’ll invite him,” he added in a mix of Filipino and English.

Although Duterte will be included in the list of invited resource persons, it would still be up to him whether or not to accept the panel’s invitation, Pimentel said.

“Whether he shows up or not, don’t blame me. I can’t control that,” he added in a mix of Filipino and English.

Aside from Duterte, Pimentel said other resource persons to be invited to the hearing include former Sen. Leila de  Lima, retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, resigned National Police Commission chief  Edilberto Leonardo, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, and families of victims of drug war killings.

According to Pimentel, the investigation would still start with Garma and other personalities who already testified in the House of Representatives’ quad committee.

It was Garma who directly linked Duterte to an alleged reward system for every drug suspect killed in his administration’s war on drugs.

According to her, a national task force headed by Leonardo was formed to replicate the Davao model on eliminating drug suspects.

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

Espinosa, meanwhile, alleged in the House probe that then police chief Dela Rosa had coerced him to implicate then Sen. Leila De Lima in the illegal drug trade.  De Lima was jailed in 2017 and was only released after seven years.

Pimentel said the panel could start asking questions if Garma and other resource persons would confirm their affidavits and testimonies in the House hearings.

“So it’s good that PRRD [Duterte’s initials] is there as well. So if he wants to react, then he can do so. So if he wants to react, then he can do so,” he pointed out.

Since the panel is directed to probe the Philippine war on illegal drugs, Pimentel said its scope could cover the drug war records of the Duterte and current administrations.