Congressmen are determined to compel former President Duterte and his closest associates to appear before a House inquiry in the wake of explosive testimonies given by whistleblowers implicating them in various illegal activities, including the murder of thousands of supposed drug personalities.
Chairpersons of panels under the powerful “Quad Committee” said the former president along with Senators Christopher Go and Ronald Dela Rosa have much explaining to do.
“It has come to public attention that serious allegations have been made against the former President, and Senator Go and Dela Rosa in the Quad Comm probe, and given the gravity of these accusations, we hope they attend the hearings to address these claims directly,” said Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, who heads the committee on public order and safety.
In the Aug. 22 hearing, persons deprived of liberty Leopoldo Tan Jr. and Fernando Magdadaro testified that Duterte ordered the killings of three Chinese drug lords detained at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao del Norte in 2016.
Meanwhile, Col. Jovie Espenido alleged there was a reward for killing drug suspects during the Duterte administration’s drug war, which was supposedly funded by illegal activities, including contributions from POGO operations.
He said Go and Dela Rosa had direct involvement in these government-sanctioned killings.
“Espenido, a key figure in the drug war, has implicated Sen. Bong Go in this scheme, claiming that funds were funneled downwards from his level. Similarly, Senator Bato, who led the Philippine National Police during the early years of the drug war, has been accused of instructing police officers to neutralize drug suspects, which has been interpreted as an order to kill,” Fernandez said.
“Given these severe allegations, we hope the President, Go and Dela Rosa will appear before the Quad Committee. Their attendance would provide them a crucial platform to defend themselves and clarify their roles in the previous administration’s anti-drug policies,” he added.
For his part, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, who heads the panel on human rights, said Duterte, Go and Dela Rosa must take every opportunity to speak up to save their reputations.
“The testimonies heard so far have led to disturbing revelations, suggesting that the Philippines may have operated as a ‘narco-state’ during Duterte’s presidency, with high-ranking officials involved in the drug trade,” he said.
“These claims, if left unchallenged, could undermine public confidence in the integrity of the country’s leadership and its institutions. Therefore, allowing Duterte, Go and Dela Rosa to address these accusations is critical in maintaining transparency and accountability in governance,” he added.
For his part, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers warned ex-Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Royina Garma to attend the next scheduled hearing or face arrest.
Barbers, the Quad Comm’s lead chairman, said a subpoena has been issued to Garma, requiring her to appear before the committee on Sept. 3.
“If Lt. Col. Garma refuses to attend, we will have no choice but to issue a warrant for her arrest. This is a matter of national importance, and we will not tolerate any obstruction to this investigation. We are committed to ensuring that justice is served, and that means everyone involved must be held to account,” he said.
Testimonies presented to the committee implicated Garma, a retired police lieutenant colonel, in the extrajudicial killings of three Chinese nationals — Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Li, and Wong — who were serving sentences for drug-related offenses at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm.
“These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of abuse that we believe Garma had a direct hand in. The gravity of these allegations cannot be overstated,” Barbers said.
As this developed, Dela Rosa admitted the Quad Comm’s ongoing probe could affect his re-election bid in next year’s elections.
In an interview over DWIZ on Saturday, the senator said his political future depends on how the public will take the “scripted affidavits” presented in the hearings.
“You saw the way they asked questions. All leading questions,” said Dela Rosa.
The senator was the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) when then-President Duterte ordered the war on illegal drugs.
