Serious concerns were raised over the “gross miscarriage of justice” during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and the continued resistance of previous law enforcement officials to submit themselves to the House Quad Committee’s continuing investigation.
During the consolidated panel’s 14th hearing on Tuesday, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said“fall guys” were convicted while the real masterminds behind the billion-peso drug smuggling operations remained scot-free.
Barbers, the Quad Comm’s lead chair, said even innocent individuals have been convicted and sentenced to up to 40 years imprisonment while those truly responsible for the massive drug shipments continue to evade prosecution.
“The smuggling of tons of drugs worth more than twelve billion pesos, blamed on small people is a dubious move to cover up those who are really involved,” he said in Filipino.
He referred to the cases of several individuals allegedly used as scapegoats in high-profile drug cases, including businessman Mark Taguba, warehouse guard Fidel Anoche Dee, and former Bureau of Customs employee Jimmy Guban, all of whom were convicted despite “glaring gaps in evidence.”
“The Quad Comm seeks justice. We are looking for the real owners [or importers] of the drugs,” the lawmaker said.
Barbers underscored the urgency of amending existing laws to prevent similar injustices in the future, stating that legislative action is necessary to prevent further cases of wrongful convictions.
The committee also intends to tackle unresolved cases of extrajudicial killings, including the cold-blooded murder of General Wesley Barayuga, he added.
For his part, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr, a co-chair of the Quad Comm, criticized Senator Ronald dela Rosa for evading the committee’s inquiries and instead using media to divert attention from the pressing issues hurled at the senator.
“Senator Bato dela Rosa does not want to face us. We just want him to clarify things. But what did he do? He went to the media and said all sorts of things,” the lawmaker said.
“If anyone says that we’re gathered here because of politics, we want him to come over and tell us directly…Those entrusted with the duty to protect have enabled injustice. Those who swore to uphold the law have hidden behind silence,” Abante added.
Also during Tuesday’s hearing, the committee lifted its contempt and detention order on former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Wilkins Villanueva.
Barbers approved the motion of co-chairperson Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano for the panel to lift the order in view of a motion for reconsideration filed by Villanueva.
Meanwhile, at the Upper Chamber, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged her colleagues to deny Filipino citizenship to Chinese national Li Duan Wang, also known as Mark Ong, citing his alleged connections to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and other controversies.
“I am shocked that this person was able to advance so far in the naturalization process despite all the red flags in his background. This is not just a matter of faking a birth certificate at a local civil registry in the province,” she said.
“This situation is happening right in the halls of the Senate and House of Representatives, face to face. I hope the Senate does not fall for this,” Hontiveros added.