Ex-president Rodrigo Duterte ‘epitome’ of the drug war, says Hontiveros
MANILA, Philippines — Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros is not looking forward to questioning former President Rodrigo Duterte in a possible Senate probe into extrajudicial killings (EJKs)—but she will do it nonetheless.
Hontiveros believes Duterte is the “epitome” of the drug war.
Talks of a Senate investigation into the drug war have been brewing following bombshell revelations from the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee hearings, where Duterte, police chief turned Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, and Sen. Bong Go have all been tagged in orchestrating the bloody war on drugs.
Asked in a press briefing if she looked forward to questioning Duterte, Hontiveros gave a simple “hindi (no).”
“For me, he is the epitome of extrajudicial killings. He is the epitome of the war on drugs. But if I personally do not want to ask him, who am I to say that? Surely, the widows and those orphaned by EJK victims feel much worse,” Hontiveros said.
Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, is pushing for a Senate probe into EJKs during the drug war. The move has raised eyebrows among lawmakers, with many questioning how the former police chief could fairly investigate himself.
Dela Rosa was Duterte’s police chief when the drug war began, serving as one of its chief implementers. On the other hand, Go was Duterte’s special assistant.
Hontiveros refrained from using harsh words toward her colleagues, Go and Dela Rosa, noting that the Senate as an institution remains loyal to the nation. However, she reiterated the Senate Committee of the Whole would be the most appropriate body to handle an investigation into Duterte’s drug war, as it would be chaired by the Senate president.
“Anything could affect the progress of an investigation, for better or worse,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros explained the Committee of the Whole is meant for issues of “primordial importance.”
“All of us senators, whether or not we are mentioned in the investigation, will have the prerogative to ask questions,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
The Senate has investigated EJKs before, but Hontiveros pointed out that those inquiries took place “under duress.”
“We were investigating a sitting administration that was very hostile to the minority or opposition. The government resource persons were not always forthright when we asked them questions back then,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
There was also a climate of fear on the ground, with many unable to speak up about the violence in their communities.
Duterte’s war on drugs resulted in a death toll in the thousands. Official government tallies put the number of deaths at more than 6,000, but human rights groups say the figure could be as high as 30,000.
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