House members hit leeway given to Bato, Go in Senate hearing

Sen. Risa Hontiveros —Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — The review from the House of Representatives of the Senate’s turn to scrutinize the six-year drug war waged by former President Rodrigo Duterte was far from flattering.

For two members of the House quad committee, which for the past two months had conducted hearings on the brutal crackdown, the Senate blue ribbon committee allowed two loyal allies of the ex-president to ”influence the proceedings.”

They were referring to senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, who joined the hearing that marked the first appearance of former President Rodrigo Duterte in an official body revisiting his campaign that left thousands dead.

READ: Duterte: My PNP chiefs were ‘death squads’ heads

In a press conference on Tuesday, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante and Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez said the way the two senators conducted themselves “diminished the credibility” of Monday’s opening hearing led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko Pimentel.”

Of Dela Rosa, Abante said: “The way he sounded, he was more of a senator-suspect or senator-respondent. There was nothing wrong with that, but he should have seated himself with his former boss (Duterte), who wanted to be called a witness instead of a resource person. That would have been more appropriate than sitting with the investigating panel in order to defend his actions.”

Before entering politics, Dela Rosa served as the first Philippine National Police chief appointed by then-President Duterte, the earliest enforcer of the antinarcotics campaign that left thousands dead.

“The validity of what seemed to be (Dela Rosa’s) interminable explanations and defenses was also not subjected to questioning. No one questioned him, no one challenged his version of those facts nor his assertions,” Abante added.

Fernandez noted that Dela Rosa ended up “interrogating resource persons” when “common sense dictates (that you) cannot be part of any investigation that you yourself are involved in.”

“He is one of the accused, but he is also part of the jury?” he added.

‘Neutralize’

In the Senate eight-hour hearing, Dela Rosa often interrupted some of the resource persons, including families who lost members in the drug war.

At one point, he also butted heads with human rights lawyer Chel Diokno over the wording of a PNP memo—particularly on the use of the term “neutralize”—that he issued in 2016 to lay the groundwork for the crackdown.

Dela Rosa, along with Duterte, is among the former PNP top brass being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their roles in the drug war.

Go, meanwhile, had also been mentioned in an earlier House quad comm hearing for allegedly facilitating a rewards system for drug war killings using intelligence funds and state lottery revenues during his years as a close Duterte aide.

In his turn to speak at Monday’s Senate hearing, Go maintained that Duterte’s “only desire was to clean up our country and fight those who sow terror, especially when it comes to illegal drugs.”

“As far as I know, he has never implemented any system in exchange for anybody’s life,” he said.

Duterte curses

But Abante and Fernandez also noted how Duterte got away with repeated curses and foul language during the Senate probe.

“It seems the Senate is not used to a calling point of order,” Abante said, referring to rules of parliament. “We should not allow any vulgar statement in this hearing.”

The House quad comm has a standing invitation for Duterte to attend its hearings.

Risa draws praise

Also on Tuesday, former Sen. Panfilo Lacson remarked that the Senate hearing was practically “invaded” by the 79-year-old former leader, but only one senator “consistently and steadfastly stood up to preserve the dignity” of the chamber.

“She happens to be a woman who answers ‘present’ during a roll call. Her name: Risa Hontiveros,” Lacson said in a post on X.

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV agreed, saying Hontiveros was “the only bright spot in the Senate hearing (for) standing up to the evil Duterte.”

“That’s the leader! Brave! Intelligent! Excellent!,” Trillanes said of the Senate deputy minority leader in a social media post.

Senate President Francis Escudero, who was not in the hearing, shared the view that Hontiveros “handled (the situation) well” when she and Duterte had heated exchanges.

“I agree when Senator Risa pointed out and reminded the former president and the committee to maintain order in the Senate, stressing that cursing is not normal and foul language should not be part of any proceedings,” he said in a forum.

“We should not be numb to it and accept it as normal and part of everyday life,” he added. “The former President said he was just narrating past incidences where he was cursing. But that may not be true for all the expletives he uttered during the hearing. And it was good that Senator Risa pointed it out.”

Chiz: Koko was fair

Escudero also commended Pimentel for the “fair” handling of the hearing.

“I think Senator Koko did a good job more than what I have expected. The role he played yesterday was not easy, and for me, he did his best to preside over that hearing and gave everyone a chance to speak, which is the most important thing,” the Senate leader said.

“The subcommittee was able to give all resource persons the venue to air their views and positions, especially that it was the first time Duterte testified, under oath, on extra-judicial killings and anti-drug war during his administration. That alone is a big thing for me,” he added.

For lawyers’ review

Sought for comment, Pimentel explained that it was just an initial hearing, noting many of the invited resource persons did not show up on Monday.

“(Duterte) was personally present, hence he got to speak… We need those with something to say to appear before the subcommittee because, as I’ve said, we will follow the evidence,” said Pimentel, who was the Senate president in the early years of the Duterte administration, from July 2016 to 2018.

Pimentel said he would like lawyers, whether in the government or not, to go over what Duterte said under oath.

“All those interested in the issue should act now. The Senate committee is only a venue or avenue to gather other forms of evidence. The former president’s words will have to be analyzed by experts in criminal law as to their overall value as evidence,” he added.