House dares Duterte to attend drug war probe after threat to lawmakers

THERE GOES DECORUM. The nation had a fresh dose of the expletive-laden rants of Rodrigo Duterte on Oct. 28, 2024 as the former President appeared at the Senate and faced, for the first time since the end of his term, an official body revisiting his bloody war on drugs. — GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers have dared former President Rodrigo Duterte to attend the next hearing of the House of Representatives quad committee on the drug war following his threat to “kick” its members.

Two members of the House’s so-called “Young Guns” on Sunday said Duterte should stop making excuses and face the quad panel instead.

“With all due respect Mr. FPRRD (Duterte), don’t make any more excuses in not attending our hearings. Please make sure to be around on Wednesday, so that you can make true your threat to kick congressmen as you have repeatedly warned,” House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said.

READ: Former president Duterte skipping House quad comm hearing on drug war

“Be here at the quad comm hearing, and go ahead, kick us if that will make you happy. I’m very sure your supporters nationwide will also be watching on national TV or YouTube, ready to give you the loudest applause you want to hear,” he added.

For La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega, Duterte should be “man enough” to fulfill his threat and attend the hearing.

“How can you kick us if you don’t physically attend the hearings? Be man enough to do it. I suppose you’re a man of your word. Don’t make empty threats. Please make no mistake: While we respect you, by no stretch of the imagination does this mean we’re afraid of you. Give us respect, too,” he said.

“Don’t be afraid to face us in quad comm. You don’t have to worry, we will give you all the reasonable amount of respect you deserve being the former president. I, for one, will make that pledge in front of you and the nation if I have to,” he added.

“But this respect should be reciprocal: We will not and we will never allow you to bully us in our own House – the House of the (114-million-strong Filipino) People whom we are all representing, from the northernmost district to the southernmost district across the country,” he asserted.

Based on a letter sent to the office of Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Atty. Martin Delgra III received the panel’s invitation on behalf of Duterte last November 2.

READ: Quad comm offers to pay for ex-Pres. Duterte’s airfare so he can join probe

Upon consultation with his client, Delgra said Duterte opted to skip the hearing “to save the government time and taxpayer’s money” since he attended a recent Senate hearing probing a similar matter.

Delgra also said although Duterte “respects and recognizes the authority of the Honorable Committees to conduct inquiries, in aid of legislation,” his client “is already doubtful” of the panel’s integrity, as well as “independence and probity.”

Duterte also reasoned out finance-related issues for not attending the probe.

Quad comm leaders — namely its chair  Robert Ace Barbers; co-chairs Dan Fernandez, Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr., and Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano; vice chair Romeo Acop; Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr.; and Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez — offered to fund Duterte and his entourage’s expenses so he could attend the succeeding hearings.

It includes their airfare and accommodation.