Quad comm hearing went on to maximize Duterte’s presence – Barbers

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

MANILA, Philippines — Hints that former President Rodrigo Duterte will be present at the House of Representatives’ quad committee on Wednesday prompted the panels to push through with its hearing, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said.

Barbers, in an ambush interview on Wednesday morning, said they have decided to just resume the hearing even if only a few resource persons would be present, to maximize Duterte’s presence.

“Sinabi natin na hindi po tuloy dahil nga no’ng Lunes pa nagkaroon na ng notice of cancellation sa hearing na naka-schedule sana ngayong araw na ‘to. Pero dahil nga po may mga information na nakarating sa amin na ang dating pangulo ay pupunta […], gusto namin i-take advantage ang pagkakataon na nandito siya,” he explained.

(We said that we will not push through with the hearing because last Monday, we released a notice of cancellation for the meeting scheduled today. But since we received information that the former president will be here, we decided to take advantage of the chance that he is here.)

“Matagal na siyang hinihintay ng ating mga members sa quad comm na makapanayam at matanong siya, direkta mismo mula sa ating mga mambabatas ang ating dating Pangulo,” the lawmaker noted.

(We have been waiting for him for so long, members of the quad comm have been longing to ask him directly.)

“So because of that, minsanan lamang ito. Hindi na tayo sure kung kailang makakarating ang dating pangulo. We took advantage,” he explained.

(So because of that, because this is a rare opportunity. We are not sure when the former president would be back. We took advantage.)

Barbers however clarified that Duterte’s camp did not send a confirmation that the former president will attend — noting that this information only came from Duterte’s former cabinet officials and his supporters on social media.

“As I speak, at this time, we have not received confirmation that the former president will be here. We got the information from social media only and from former members of his cabinet.)

Duterte eventually showed up at the quad committee hearing, arriving at exactly 9:57 a.m. at the Batasang Pambansa complex’s People’s Center. He was accompanied by his former spokesperson, lawyer Salvador Panelo.

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The quad committee hearing was not supposed to push through, as Barbers explained in a Tuesday press briefing that they still have to review and verify a high number of testimonies.

However, Duterte’s supporters on social media called out the quad committee, claiming that the ex-leader was prepared to face the four panels.

Barbers however said Duterte never confirmed that he was attending before the quad committee leadership decided to reschedule the hearing.

READ: Quad comm reschedules drug war probe to verify testimonies 

But at around 2:56 a.m. on Wednesday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the hearing would already push through.

READ: Initially cancelled quad comm hearing to push through – House exec 

Duterte’s name has been mentioned several times in the quad committee hearings, due to the drug war he enforced while he was president.

Revelations from former police officials, like retired colonel Royina Garma’s claims about the existence of a rewards system in the drug war, have bolstered lawmakers’ belief that there were irregularities in anti-drug operations.

According to Garma, Duterte called her in 2016 about the creation of a task force which will implement the so-called Davao template on a nationwide scale.

The Davao template, Garma said, involved providing cash grants worth P20,000 to P1 million to cops who kill drug suspects.

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

Garma also claimed that the existence of the Davao Death Squad — a team that former President Duterte supposedly crafted while he was Davao City mayor — was common knowledge among police officers in the area.

At a Senate hearing last October 28, Duterte said he created a seven-man hit squad made up of gangsters when he was Davao City mayor.

But he eventually retracted this statement when senators asked for a clarification.

READ: Duterte admits to having ‘death squad,’ later insists it’s not one