Paolo Duterte wants to quiz resource persons in House EJK probe

FILE PHOTO: Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte. – Duterte expressed his desire to grill resource persons during the hearing of the House of Representatives quad-committee probing the “drug war” and alleged extra-judicial killings during his father’s reign. The four-panel body approved his request, which he conveyed in a letter, with the lead committee presider and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers directing the secretariat to make sure that an invitation is given to Duterte so he could participate in the next hearing. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of City Government of Davao

MANILA, Philippines — Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte expressed his desire to grill resource persons during the hearing of the House of Representatives quad-committee probing the “drug war” and alleged extra-judicial killings during his father’s reign.

The four-panel body approved his request, which he conveyed in a letter, with the lead committee presider and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers directing the secretariat to make sure that an invitation is given to Duterte so he could participate in the next hearing.

“The letter states that there are questions that the honorable Paolo Duterte wishes to ask the resource persons, and may we just ask the committee secretary to please make sure that the invitation will be extended to the Honorable Paolo Duterte in the next quad-comm hearing, with the topic on drugs and extrajudicial killings,” Barbers said as he mentioned the letter while discussing administrative matters during Thursday’s hearing.

Barbers’ co-chairperson, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said it is Duterte’s duty as a House member to attend the hearing.

“Do we appreciate the letter of Congressman Pulong to this committee? I think it is his solemn duty to attend this committee hearing being a member of the House, Mr. Chair, unless otherwise, he would like to be a resource person and not a witness, Mr. Chair,” Abante said.

“Well we will make sure, Your Honor, that the invitation will be extended to Honorable Paolo Duterte for the next quad-comm hearings on the topic of dangerous drugs and extrajudicial killings,” Barbers replied.

At the start of the House quad-panel’s probe, the names of Duterte and his brother-in-law, Atty. Manases Carpio, cropped up as former Bureau of Customs (BOC) official Jimmy Guban identified then as being allegedly involved in the smuggled illegal drugs concealed in magnetic lifters in 2018.

READ: ‘Don’t name Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio, Yang in 2018 shabu import mess’

Guban, who was convicted for drug-related charges, was referring to the P6.8-billion “shabu” (slang for methamphetamine) that slipped into the country as they were hidden in the metal cylinders of the magnetic lifters.

READ: 1 ton of shabu worth P6.8B eludes PDEA, PNP

Guban also told quad-committee members that former environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda sent an emissary to warn him against dropping the names of Duterte and Carpio – husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, and Michael Yang – an adviser of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. He added that the alleged emissary even told him that he would die and that his child would be abducted if he names Duterte, Carpio, and Yang in the controversy.

Guban likewise alleged that it was a certain Paul Gutierrez, who is supposedly part of Antiporda’s staff, who relayed the threats.

Rep. Duterte and Antiporda have denied Guban’s allegations. Congressman Duterte even said he never transacted with Guban.

Duterte further hit Guban’s integrity, noting that the Senate blue ribbon committee previously held the ex-customs official in contempt for lying. He stressed that the label star witness is only reserved for individuals with credibility — not Guban.