House quad comm invites Duterte to drug war probe

Koko to lead Blue Ribbon inquiry — Chiz

MANILA, Philippines — The quad committee of the House of Representatives has invited former president Rodrigo Duterte to attend its next hearing tomorrow to shed light on allegations that he implemented a reward system for extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his term.

“The joint committee respectfully invites you to attend the inquiry to provide valuable insights and shed light on the issues under discussion, particularly the EJKs,” read a portion of the one-page document dated Oct. 18 and signed by lead chairman Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Meanwhile, Senate President Francis Escudero said yesterday that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee would investigate the Duterte administration’s drug war, parallel to the inquiry being done by the quad committee.

Escudero said Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III will spearhead proceedings in a Blue Ribbon subcommittee, since its chairperson, Sen. Pia Cayetano, is busy campaigning for reelection.

Barbers asked Duterte, if he has a presentation or opening statement, to submit it to the quad secretariat beforehand.

The hearing will start at 9:30 a.m. when the four committees – dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights and public accounts – will resume for purposes of conducting a further probe on EJKs, which retired police colonel Royina Garma exposed as having a systematic reward system. 

The joint committee also instructed newly assigned Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, to assist the House in “ensuring” that the invitation to Duterte will be received by him, or his “representative in his residence in Davao City.”  

Torre was known for his no-nonsense approach in arresting fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy last month.

Rep. Jude Acidre of party-list Tingog, for his part, expects “more explosive testimonies” from Garma – a very loyal and trusted aide of Duterte whom he appointed as general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) – when the quad comm hearing resumes. 

“Her testimonies lay bare what many have feared: that the so-called war on drugs wasn’t just a campaign against crime – it was a state-sanctioned bloodbath,” Acidre pointed out.

“The details we are hearing are appalling, and it is clear that this wasn’t an anti-drug campaign – it was a systematic execution plan with rewards for killings,” he said, recalling Garma’s signed affidavit implicating Duterte and his former special assistant now Sen. Bong Go to the so-called war on drugs.

“These revelations are shocking, but unfortunately, they aren’t surprising. The Duterte administration was known for its violent rhetoric, but we are now seeing how deeply entrenched this violence was in the institutions themselves,” Acidre said. 

“Garma’s testimony doesn’t just implicate rogue officers – it implicates the highest levels of government, including Duterte and Go,” he said. 

The former PCSO chief revealed how she was instructed by Duterte to help find a police officer who could replicate the deadly “Davao model” nationwide – an operation in which police were rewarded for killing suspects. 

Garma recommended former police colonel Edilberto Leonardo, who later led a task force that, according to Garma, operated with impunity under Duterte’s directive.

Leonardo was appointed National Police Commission chief until he filed his resignation recently.

Parallel inquiry

In a message to The STAR through Viber, Pimentel said in Filipino, “Ok, yes. I will accept my new assignment” as blue ribbon subcommittee head. 

Escudero pointed out that two Senate members – Senators Go and Ronald dela Rosa – held key positions under the previous administration.

Go was special assistant to the president, and Dela Rosa was the first chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration and was considered the architect of the anti-drug campaign dubbed “Oplan Tokhang.”

The Senate President also pointed out that Congress went on recess last Sept. 27, and will resume session on Nov. 4, and only the Senate Blue Ribbon has the motu proprio power to conduct an investigation.

In agreeing to tap the Senate panel to handle the matter, Escudero explained senators discussed in plenary regarding the motu proprio power of the committees.

“When we go into recess, the referral of the committee on rules to the appropriate committee seems to be hijacked (as other committees conduct their investigation motu proprio),” he said. “Reason for us to reiterate that only the Blue Ribbon committee, and not all committees, can have a motu proprio hearing.”

Escudero pointed out that the decision was meant to grant Dela Rosa’s wish to have a hearing even during recess. Claiming that the House quad committee hearings were politicized, Go and Dela Rosa pushed for the Senate to conduct a parallel probe.

He also revealed that he spoke to the committee secretariat, and asked them if it is possible to coordinate with Go and Dela Rosa to identify witnesses to be invited to the Senate hearing.

Escudero wanted the Senate to conduct a hearing while Congress is in recess, since upon the resumption on Nov. 4, senators would be busy discussing the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 and other proposed measures.

Creation of ‘fact-finding’ board urged

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan urged President Marcos to order the creation of an independent fact-finding commission to investigate EJKs.

“We urge the President to form a panel – similar to the Agrava Fact-Finding Board – that will probe the summary killings and identify all individuals who may be held criminally liable,” the 4Ps party-list congressman said.

“Just like the Agrava board, the proposed commission should be independent from the legislative and executive branches of government,” Libanan added.

“It should consist of distinguished individuals who are highly regarded for their fairness and impartiality, and who are not politically aligned,” he continued.

Libanan, a lawyer by profession, served as chairperson of the House committee on justice.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin earlier stated that the Marcos administration “places the highest importance on the fair dispensation of justice and on the universal observance of rule of law” in the ongoing investigations into the summary execution of drug suspects.

The five-member Agrava Fact-Finding Board investigated the Aug. 21, 1983 assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. at the Manila International Airport.

The board was chaired by the country’s first woman judge, retired appellate court Justice Corazon Agrava, alongside lawyer Luciano Salazar, businessman Dante Santos, educator Amado Dizon, and labor leader Ernesto Herrera, who was later elected senator.

Within 11 months, the board took testimonies from 194 witnesses at 146 public hearings, and examined more than 1,400 photographic exhibits.

The board concluded that Aquino was killed by a military conspiracy led by then-Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Fabian Ver.

In 1990, the Sandiganbayan sentenced 16 soldiers, including Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio, to double life imprisonment for the assassination of Aquino and fall guy Rolando Galman. Ver died in Thailand in 1998.

Quad comm findings affirm CHR reports

Testimonies and evidence presented during the ongoing House quad committee hearings corroborate previous findings of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in its investigation into the Duterte administration’s deadly campaign against illegal drugs.

The CHR, in a statement, expressed optimism with the recent developments at the quad committee hearings, particularly on the details by witnesses regarding EJK incidents.

“The CHR is closely monitoring the testimonies and emerging pieces of evidence, which may contribute to our own ongoing investigations. We are hopeful that the quad committee’s inquiry will lead to tangible progress in advancing justice for the victims of EJKs,” the commission said.

“Given the considerable challenges the CHR faced during the past administration, we are encouraged that the current socio-political climate offers a more conducive environment for the resolution of these cases,” it added.

Some of the testimonies affirmed previous CHR findings, such as the supposed reward system revealed by Garma. The CHR report, released in April 2022, found that police operatives involved in the campaign “are either to be awarded, rewarded, or recognized.”

“We reiterate the urgency of thoroughly investigating this reward system, as it is crucial in understanding the scope and depth of the violations committed during the campaign,” the CHR said.

The commission highlighted its other findings, including the consistent narrative of “nanlaban (fought)” and the use of excessive and disproportionate force by the police conducting the operations.

“It cannot be overemphasized that justice and accountability must be pursued, considering the significant number of alleged EJK cases, as well as the alleged involvement of high-profile personalities,” the CHR said.

“After years of raising concerns over the anti-drug campaign and relentless call for accountability, the CHR welcomes these promising developments that may contribute to the long-awaited pursuit of justice,” it added.

The commission expressed its support with the ongoing investigation, saying it is ready to share its own reports and findings to the committee. — Edith Regalado, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Janvic Mateo