No order, no dictation: Fernandez asserts quad panel’s autonomy in hearings

Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez — File photo from the House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — There was no order from any ranking officials to launch the quad-committee hearings or recruit personalities to speak against certain individuals, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez clarified on Friday.

He noted that the House of Representatives leadership could not dictate the movements of the committees.

In an online interview, Fernandez was asked about Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s claim that high-ranking officials are directing the quad-committee, as part of a supposed game plan to discredit the past administration’s anti-drug campaign.

According to Fernandez, not even the House leadership under Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez can order them to do something, adding that he would not allow himself to be used for any political purpose.

“So if they accuse the Speaker that we created this, or that happened because of the speaker’s directive, that is so unfair,” the lawmaker said.

“And I myself, I would not allow myself to be used for a political agenda. After all, I’m not running for any higher position. I mean for a national [post], and this would not affect us,” Fernandez told reporters.

“That’s the reason why when it was mentioned that this is about politics, the speaker issued an order: Eh, you know, we have 300 lawmakers at the House and they can never dictate on us,” he pointed out.

Fernandez also said it would be foolish to bribe people who would testify before the quad-committee because they can easily announce on national television that they were forced to testify.

“Especially if the evidence will be cooked by us just to cater to certain personalities like the speaker, that’s hard. What if the people we talked to suddenly talked about that during the hearing? That will put us in a precarious position,” he noted.

“For me, personally, I don’t want that to happen to me. Because you know, you could not gauge how resource persons think. You cannot dictate [to] them, and if you ever do — like by paying them money, what if they suddenly turn against you? So that’s why I’m very particular about that,” he explained.

Aside from taking these precautions, the lawmaker reminded the public that the investigations into the illegal activities done by Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), the illegal drug trade, and the alleged extrajudicial killings — issues being handled by the quad-committee — were already ongoing before the four panels convened together.

Fernandez said the four panels just decided to hold hearings jointly so that discussions of issues would be streamlined.

Lawmakers from the House of Representatives hold the third hearing of the quad committee on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. (File photo from the House of Representatives Media Bureau)

Under House Resolution No. 1880, which was adopted after Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. delivered a privilege speech last August 6, the following panels were tasked to hold hearings:

• Committee on dangerous drugs headed by Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers
• Committee on public order and safety headed by Fernandez
• Committee on public accounts headed by Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano
• Committee on human rights, headed by Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante

“I think it’s unfair to the Speaker. The reason why we created this quad-comm, prior to the privilege speech of SDS (Senior Deputy Speaker Gonzales), is because we, the chairpersons, were talking with each other,” Fernandez recalled.

“As for me, I was talking with Chairman [Bienvenido] Abante. I said, ‘Brother, it seems your topics have links to the police issues that we are hearing in my committee,’” he said.

“And even with [the committee on] dangerous drugs, where the name of Michael [Yang] surfaced. I told Chairman Ace [Barbers] that it seems what they are discussing also appears on the issues involving Pogos,” the legislator noticed.

“That’s the trigger and then we talked to SDS — because SDS was the author of the resolution that authorized the hearings in Mexico, Pampanga,” Fernandez added.

READ: House OKs reso tasking panels to jointly probe Pogo, drugs, EJK issues 

In October 2023, the House committee on dangerous drugs started investigating a controlled delivery operation by the Bureau of Customs and other partner agencies, where illegal drugs worth over P3.6 billion were traced from the Port of Subic in Zambales to a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga.

READ: P3.6-B worth of shabu seized in Pampanga warehouse 

Authorities then tracked it down to a warehouse under the name of a so-called Empire 999 Realty Corp., which is owned by a certain Willy Ong.

However, during the hearing, Barbers revealed that “Willy Ong” was fictitious.

READ: House panel orders Pampanga warehouse owner to attend probe on drug case 

READ: Rodrigo Duterte’s adviser Yang to be invited to House drug probe 

Eventually, the committee found alleged ties to Michael Yang, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s ex-economic adviser.