Bato sets Senate inquiry; Duterte to be invited

MANILA, Philippines —  Former president Rodrigo Duterte will be invited to the Senate when it conducts its investigation on the war on drugs during his administration, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said yesterday.

In a phone interview with Senate reporters, Dela Rosa said even as Congress is on break until Nov. 4, committee chairpersons could conduct a motu proprio investigation into the allegations of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma, who claimed that reward money was given to police operatives for every drug suspect killed.

Dela Rosa said he has yet to personally talk to Duterte, but he expressed =belief that it is likely the former president would face the Senate if the committee on public order, which the senator chairs, would conduct the investigation.

“We would invite him as well as his Cabinet members who can be resource persons. There is a high possibility that he will attend if we invite him. He will be more comfortable here in the Senate than in the Lower House,” he added.

Earlier, Sen. Bong Go was poised to file a Senate resolution to call for an investigation into the drug war.

Del Rosa, former Philippine National Police chief, clarified that the Senate panel inquiry would be a parallel investigation not meant to contradict the probe being conducted by the House quad committee.

When asked how he would handle the committee investigation, Dela Rosa said, “Being fair or one-sided is a matter of perception. I will stick to the facts, stick to the records until we get there.”

“If I want to use my committee, I should have been conducting hearings for a long time but I’m also embarrassed that people might say I’m using my committee… If it is really necessary for checks and balances, we have to do it,” he added.

House quad committee co-chair Manila Rep. Benny Abante questioned the senator’s motive as he believes his investigation will be “more biased.”

He added Dela Rosa, principal architect of Duterte’s war on drugs as chief PNP, would clear himself and protect his principal from any charges.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III vouched for the chance of victims to speak out before the Senate if it pushes through with its parallel probe.

“We should accord time to the victims with the sheer number of those who died in the war on drugs,” said Pimentel. “The victims (including the grieving families) are entitled to serious time and attention coming from senators.”

Go: No illegal orders

Emphasizing consistent public clamor in upholding public order in Philippine society, Go defended the Duterte administration’s firm stance against drugs and criminality, asserting that no illegal orders were given and no reward system existed for police operations.

Speaking on radio on Tuesday, Go addressed allegations of the reward system related to the fight against illegal drugs, dismissing them as baseless and mostly hearsay.

“I feel sorry for other people who are tagged in hearsays and baseless accusations. I also feel sorry for the person that drew something in the hearing that is not connected to anything because there is no reward system,” Go said.

Reflecting on the past, the senator pointed out how Duterte’s war on drugs brought significant benefits to ordinary citizens with its strong stance against crime. He, however, clarified that Duterte’s orders were all within the bounds of the law.

The senator asserted that criminality will come back if illegal drugs make a comeback and it’s up to the people to decide if they benefited from the anti-illegal drug campaign.

He is also willing to face the quad comm’s investigation if he is invited by the panel.

CIF as reward?

The House quad committee is looking into confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) as the possible sources of reward money given to those involved in drug-related extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the Duterte administration.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum, panel overall chair Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said they are looking at many “angles” on how the reward money was raised.

“Some are saying it was taken from the confidential or intelligence fund of the Office of the President. Some are saying from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, small town lottery lotto,” he noted in Filipino.

According to Barbers, there is currently no evidence nor corroborative statements to this effect but they received feelers from those who have information about the reward system, adding Garma is preparing her “supplemental affidavit.”

Meanwhile, Abante said the quad comm will be asking for the assistance of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to do a “money trail” on the reward system.

They have tasked the AMLC to investigate the CIFs of the Duterte administration during his whole term as president.

The lawmaker underscored that the committee “is not here to prosecute” so they are asking the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice to start their investigation.

Abante added they will also ask the Commission on Audit to do its own probe on the matter.

He said that it is only a matter of time before former National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo reveals the truth about Duterte’s war on drugs.

The panel expects Leonardo to testify at the quad comm’s hearings after the latter submits his affidavit, with Abante noting that the former Napolcom head’s testimony may be as impactful as Garma’s.

Dela Rosa maintained he has no information on CIFs funneled as reward money for police.

During his term as PNP chief, he said police used intelligence funds in operations leading to the arrest of wanted persons like members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, including reward money for informants.

After eight grueling hearings, there is still not enough evidence linking Duterte to drug-related EJKs, the House quad comm said yesterday.

According to Barbers, it has been established that there has been reward money at the “lower level.”

“But if the killing was an order from the higher-up, we still do not have enough evidence,” he noted at yesterday’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

Barbers added even Duterte’s public statements regarding EJKs could not be used to press charges of crimes against humanity against the former chief executive.

“We do not want to tread on that particular issue because that is not within the congressional inquiry. We are limited to the issues being discussed by the committees whose objective is to propose legislation,” he maintained.

The lawmaker said even Garma’s statements are insufficient to conclude that the nationwide order to kill drug suspects came from Duterte himself.

“If we believe in her statement 100 percent, we may reach that conclusion. But as I said earlier, it is not gospel truth. It needs corroborative statements coming from another witness or maybe even a document that may corroborate that statement,” he pointed out.

Barbers said he believes not all policemen were involved in irregularities but he knew there were some who committed abuses to enrich themselves through the reward system.

Dela Rosa dared the House quad comm to show solid evidence on the allegations that EJKs were part of Duterte’s war on drugs.

“They should show their evidence. How can I counter if I don’t know the evidence they have? Because if you ask me, I don’t think they have evidence against me,” Dela Rosa noted.

“I am not bothered. My conscience is clear. I have no fear. I am not connected in any way… I was never mentioned in Garma’s affidavit. You never heard my name,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Barbers reiterated that they will not share the results of the quad comm’s investigation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the country is not a member of the court.

He suggested to the ICC that they should look at the recorded proceedings on social media as the panel “will not stop them from doing that.”–  Sheila Crisostomo, Delon Porcalla, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Miriam Desacada