INQToday: Duterte invited to House quad panel hearing on drug war

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Tropical Depression Kristine: 15 areas nationwide under Signal No.1

Tropical Depression Kristine entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) early Monday morning and it’s forecast to develop into a typhoon before landfall over Northern Luzon towards the weekend.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Kristine was 1,050 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon as of 5 a.m., October 21, carrying maximum wind speeds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center with gustiness of up to 70 kph.

Duterte invited to House quad panel hearing on drug war

Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been invited anew to the House of Representatives quad committee’s October 22 hearing on his administration’s war on drugs.

He was invited to “provide valuable insights” related to the ongoing probe, based on a document signed by quad comm chair and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Ace Barbers dated October 18.

Pimentel tapped to lead Senate drug war probe

Days after he ruled out the possibility of either Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa or Christopher “Bong” Go heading a Senate inquiry into the drug war killings under the previous administration, Senate President Francis Escudero announced on Sunday that he had tapped Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III for the task.

“The investigation will be led by the blue ribbon committee of which the [chairperson] is Sen. Pia Cayetano. But since she will be busy during the recess being a reelectionist, the task may be assigned to Sen. Koko Pimentel as a subcommittee chair,” Escudero said in a radio interview over dzBB.

Fuel price cut from Oct 22: 70¢/liter for diesel, 50¢/liter for gasoline

After four consecutive weeks of hikes, oil companies are poised to implement downward adjustments in the prices of petroleum products beginning Tuesday, October 22.

In separate advisories on Monday, Seaoil and Shell Pilipinas said the per-liter prices of gasoline and diesel would be reduced by 50 centavos and 70 centavos, respectively.