The Blue Ribbon Committee was selected to lead the investigation on the war on drugs of the previous administration in the upper chamber, Senate President Francis Escudero said on Sunday.
Escudero made the announcement after convening with his fellow senators, GMA Integrated News reported.
He said the Blue Ribbon is the only committee tasked to probe allegations of wrongdoings from the government and its officials, which can handle it even while the Senate is on its break.
The Senate President earlier advised Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence Go, who played key roles in the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte, to refrain from conducting their own probe to avoid conflict of interest issues.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III will lead the hearings via a subcommittee since Senator Pia Cayetano is busy with other activities, according to Escudero.
Escudero said he prefers to begin the inquiry before the regular session of the 19th Congress resumes on November 4, when deliberations on the 2025 National Budget would be prioritized over other matters.
A parallel probe of the drug war was initiated in the Senate at the request of Dela Rosa following recent revelations at the House Quad Committee hearings, implicating him and other Duterte allies in the alleged state-sanctioned killings that emanated from the said policy.
