THE House of Representatives will summon everyone linked to the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when it launches its own investigation into the matter, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Thursday.
In an interview, Alvarez said the resource persons would include personalities mentioned in the “matrix” President Rodrigo Duterte has released that showed their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary.
“Everyone who has anything to do with what we are investigating will be invited so that we can get a complete picture,” Alvarez said in Filipino.
Alvarez is the principal author of House Resolution No. 105 seeking investigation into the illegal drug trade in the NBP that flourished when Senator Leila de Lima was still secretary of Justice.
However, Alvarez said the House will not compel De Lima to appear before the committee on justice because of inter-parliamentary courtesy.
But even without De Lima’s participation, Alvarez said the House will press its effort to ferret out the truth behind the illegal drug trade in the prison.
Alvarez said the probe is meant to find out why the drug trade flourished inside the national penitentiary and was not specifically targeted against De Lima.
Alvarez also said the House probe is not a duplication of the Senate work, noting the focus of the investigation of the Senate was the spate of summary executions of drug suspects.
Alvarez added that the House would look into the alleged involvement of incumbent Pangasinan 5th District Rep. Amado Espino Jr. and give him the chance to explain his side.
The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, has formed a team that will investigate De Lima and six other individuals identified in President Duterte’s matrix of alleged coddlers of the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.
PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa announced on Thursday that Ilocos Region police director, Chief Supt. Gregorio Pimentel, will spearhead the investigation.
The National Bureau of Investigation, meanwhile, has yet to conduct an investigation linking De Lima to the operation of a drug syndicate.
“None yet,” said NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin, when asked if the agency has launched its own investigation into their former boss. With Sandy Araneta