Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres answers questions from the media in a press conference at the Department of Justice in Manila on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. —File photo by Ryan Leagogo | INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will thoroughly study the House quad committee’s recommendation to file crimes against humanity complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies, assuring that the complaints would be filed should sufficient evidence warrant it.
Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres made the pronouncement on Thursday after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said that the DOJ would first have to review the House quad committee’s recommendation.
According to Andres, the National Prosecution Service (NPS) of the DOJ will thoroughly study the evidence to be elevated by the committee and consolidate it with the evidence it already collated from its own ongoing investigation through a case buildup to determine whether crimes against humanity were really committed in connection with Duterte’s drug war.
READ: Acop: Quad comm uncovers Duterte’s link to ‘grand criminal enterprise’
“If the evidence warrants, we will proceed with the filing of cases through the National Prosecution Service. But we assure everyone, we are sure that we won’t file any harassment cases,” Andres said in Filipino in a chance interview.
“But when the evidence warrants, if we have enough evidence, we will hold people accountable,” he added.
All resource persons who testified before the quad comm’s hearing may also be summoned by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to receive their formal affidavits.
“Everyone saw that the resource persons gave very revealing information and even self-incriminating admissions,” Andres said.
“So all of this information will now be evaluated, and we will do a thorough follow-up investigation and case buildup. And as I said, if the evidence warrants, we will hold people legally accountable,” he added.
Asked if Duterte himself would receive a subpoena, Andres said it would be possible.
“We will look into that possibility. But as of now, there are already admissions on record made by the former president and that is evidence that is admissible because these are all under oath and in public proceedings,” he said.
Andres then noted that, as a former president, Duterte would no longer be immune to suits.
He added that the DOJ had started studying if the case buildup would overlap with the probe being conducted by the International Criminal Court against Duterte’s drug war.
It was during his sponsorship speech at the House session on Wednesday when Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, quad committee lead presiding officer, said the four panels would be recommending charges against Duterte and the following individuals for violating the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity (Republic Act No. 9851):
- former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and incumbent Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- former special assistant to the president and incumbent Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go
- former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde
- former PNP chief Debold Sinas
- former Police Col. Royina Garma
- former National Police Commission chief Edilberto Leonardo
- Go’s aide, Irmina “Muking” Espino
According to Barbers, the committee recommendation “underscores the progress achieved through our investigations in addressing systemic crimes and abuses.”