Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. on Monday challenged Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to attend the House quad-committee investigation and explain his role in the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Abante, chair of the House Committee on Human Rights and co-chair of the quad-committee, issued the challenge after Dela Rosa criticized the committee for allegedly rehashing the issue, calling the investigation a “broken record.”
Dela Rosa, who served as former President Rodrigo Duterte’s first police chief and architect of the controversial anti-drug campaign that claimed thousands of lives, mostly among the urban poor, dismissed the ongoing inquiries as “paulit-ulit” or repetitive, and described them as a “fishing expedition.”
“Sen. Bato is always welcome to express his thoughts in our hearings,” Abante told reporters in an interview via Zoom, noting that Dela Rosa had been invited by his committee multiple times but had yet to attend to shed light on the EJK issue.
“Kahit na (even) before the quad-committee was formed, the Committee on Human Rights extended an invitation to the good senator so he could be able to air his side. He has yet to accept any of the invitations extended to him, although it appears that he has a lot of thoughts on the matter,” Abante pointed out.
He urged Dela Rosa to bring his views directly to the quad-committee.
“If he has something to say, don’t say it to the media, say it to the quad-comm so that his answers are really clear. We’re giving him the opportunity, due process for him to air his side and for us to be able to know his feelings about this,” he said.
Dela Rosa had repeatedly declined the House invitations, citing inter-parliamentary courtesy as an excuse.
Responding to Dela Rosa’s claim that the investigations are repetitive, Abante argued that the hearings have uncovered new and significant information.
“Not repetitive. It’s better for him to go and ask thoroughly if this is repeated,” he said. “We are presenting different witnesses because we want to see again and investigate the many mistakes that are happening.”
Abante cited a key finding from the committee’s four hearings, particularly the quota system for drug war accomplishments among police officers.
Abante reiterated that his actions are not politically motivated but are part of his advocacy for justice.
The veteran lawmaker stressed that the pain of the victims’ families cannot be dismissed.
The House quad-committee—composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts—is currently investigating the links between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, the illegal drug trade, and EJKs during the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.
