Two co-chairpersons of the House Quad Committee urged the National Prosecution Service (NPS) to take its cue from the growing body of evidence gathered by the mega panel and begin filing criminal cases for extrajudicial killings (EJKs) that the Duterte administration allegedly sanctioned.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez said the Department of Justice (DOJ) should leverage the Quad Comm’s findings to build strong cases against stalwarts of the previous administration who allegedly orchestrated the summary executions of drug suspects, among others.
They, however, did not mention the persons they thought ought to be charged in connection with the supposed mass murders.
Abante, chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, said that since the Quad Comm cannot prosecute cases, it is up to state prosecutors to use its findings to bring about justice.
“Yes, if the DOJ asks that we could turn over documents [on the EJK probe], we will do it,” Abante said in a mixture of Filipino and English.
Abante detailed that the apparent state-sanctioned murders killed thousands, with estimates from the International Criminal Court ranging between 12,000 to 30,000 deaths during Duterte’s administration.
“We just want justice to be done as chairman of the Committee on Human Rights,” the Manila solon said while stressing that he is also against illegal drugs but is more opposed to mass murder.
Abante also criticized the drug war’s alleged architect and now Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa’s statement that “shit happens,” questioning the senator’s use of language and attitude toward the loss of life.
For his part, Fernandez pointed out the importance of Republic Act (RA) 9851, especially the concept of command responsibility as provided by said law.
“RA 9851 defines penalties that may be imposed on violations of international law [such as] genocide and other crimes against humanity,” he said.
Fernandez also pointed out how ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s admission to the Upper Chamber can serve as the basis for filing cases against him.
Additionally, the Laguna lawmaker, said Duterte’s position as commander-in-chief makes him accountable for execution orders given under his administration.
Meanwhile, House deputy majority leader and Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre dared Duterte to face the Quad Comm following his defiant display at a Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing on Monday.
“Duterte’s admissions about his ‘death squad’ and his chilling willingness to command extrajudicial killings reveal a leader who has absolutely no regard for human life. “It’s appalling that he continues to hide behind the facade of a tough-on-crime persona while leaving a trail of bloodshed in his wake,” he said.
Acidre also urged Dela Rosa to recuse himself from the Senate inquiry, given his deep involvement in the previous administration’s so-called war on drugs.
It can be recalled that Duterte admitted to Senators that he directed a group of gangsters to eliminate perceived threats.
He also admitted to instructing police to provoke suspects into confrontations to justify their killings.
The Philippine government estimates that over 6,252 people have been killed in the drug war, although human rights organizations argue the actual toll could be in the tens of thousands.
