More House lawmakers call for quad comm’s continuation

Manila Rep. Benny Abante File photo / from Benny Abante FB Page

MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers should carry on the investigations of the quad committee in the 20th Congress, specifically the unresolved probe into drug-related killings, Chinese-linked syndicates, and government corruption, according to leaders of the mega panel during the 19th Congress.

Members of the quad comm pointed out that their probe was “cut short by politics, threats to witnesses” and what they describe as “ an orchestrated effort to bury the truth.”

“We cannot just move on. What we uncovered in those hearings was not fiction, not rumor, but fragments of a frightening reality,” said reelected Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr., who chaired the Human Rights panel during the previous Congress.

READ: Abante seeks House probe into missing sabungeros’ case

“Quad Comm 2.0 now becomes a necessity. We firmly believe that justice does not expire and must continue in the 20th Congress. The people have a right to know who benefited from silence and who paid the price for speaking out,” he added.

Abante said the push to reconstitute the mega panel in the 20th Congress is a “test of political courage.”

“There were witnesses who were threatened. There were patterns of abuse that pointed to state actors. There were billions of pesos in questionable transactions. Hindi pa ito tapos. Quad Comm 2.0 must finish the job,” former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who led the panel on dangerous drugs, for his part, said.

The same call was made by former Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V, and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

Ortega and Adiong were the first to issue the same statements with Abante, Barbers, and Fernandez backing their call. /mr